The Truth Behind Him
by Harmony909
Summary: Naruto has a great secret, one no one must know about, hidden behind his mask. So what happens when the truth is uncovered? Super and Anbu!Naruto.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue- How it Began**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way or form when I am not dreaming!!!!

(The disclaimer above counts for the entire story because I don't want to re-type it)

Description: Naruto has a great secret, one that nobody must know of, hidden behind his mask. Super and Anbu!Naruto

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Hey there! Welcome to my first-ever multi-chapter fanfic! You are currently reading a few things that I felt you should know of….**

**I have almost no writing experience, so if you could review to tell me about things I need to improve on and the like, it will be greatly appreciated.**

**Depending on the comments I receive, chapters may be rewritten. I will not, however, rewrite a chapter in a way that changes the plot entirely, forcing me to rewrite all the other chapters.**

**I will take suggestions for the next chapters. You are, after all, the reader! (a.k.a. Your opinion matters!)**

**I do not plan to write any couples, seeing as I really can't write then. Knowing me, I might magically end up writing SasuNaru, NaruHina, or some other random couple such as ShikaIno and the like…**

**I might accidentally bash Sakura and Kakashi (even though they are two of my favorite characters…). Please tell me if I do… Or if you like it!**

**I will try to update every week or sooner. I can't make any guarantees though. Sorry if I do take longer!**

**Yes, Naruto WILL be extremely overpowered, yadda yadda yadda. However, this is not a fic where Naruto shows off his awesome skills (sorry if you like that). He tries to hide them instead. This IS a omg-they-found-out-the-truth-omg-omg fanfic, but the story pretty much follows the canon (original plot) until around the Chunin exams. These first chapters help you get acquainted with Naruto's real personality in this fanfic.

* * *

**

Uzumaki Naruto lay curled up in a ball at the end of an alley. The villagers, as usual, had decided to have some fun and "hurt the demon brat." Naruto's clothes were red with blood and his lifeless eyes were filled with tears.

'Why do they hate me? Why do they like to hurt me?' He thought. Try as he might, his four-year-old brain could not find the answer. The four men surrounding him cackled when they saw his tears.

"So the monster can cry. Let's see if he can scream." The leader of the group proclaimed, taking a knife from the inside pocket of his coat. The others laughed and cheered him on.

"Hurt him, boss!"

"Yeah, boss, hurt him!"

"Make him want to die!"

The wounded four-year-old said the only thing he could think of.

"Please don't hurt me!" He cried, but none of the men listened to him. In fact, they seemed to laugh even harder.

His last was, 'What did I do to deserve this?' before the darkness enveloped him, the laughter of men filling his ears.

* * *

When Naruto awakened, the first thing he saw was a bright white ceiling. He sniffed the air, and, smelling a distinguishable smell, realized he was in the hospital. He turned his head to the side and his vision was filled with the sight of an old, kind, and worried face that Naruto recognized. The Sandaime. (1)

"Naruto? How do feel?" Asked Naruto's grandfather figure.

"I'm okay, ojiji."(2) Naruto replied. He started to sit up and winced. Even though he was already healing from the beating he received, his lower back felt like it was on fire. He lay back down with a groan. "I've been better though."

"Good. Listen, Naruto. The orphanage kicked you out yesterday while you were… out." Said the old mad. Seeing the young boy's crestfallen face, he hurried on. "I have a proposition for you. I want you to live at the Anbu HQ. You'll be safe there and from what I've heard people over there admire you. Okay?"

Naruto gave a large smile full of warmth. People would actually like him?

"Sure!"

Sarutobi smiled back at Naruto. There was another reason he was sending Naruto to the HQ. The old Hokage had noticed Naruto's determination and intelligence. He knew that Naruto could become a prodigy with proper training, which he was guaranteed to earn at the Anbu HQ. Even though this would not change the general opinion of him, it would at east help his self-defense.

"Alright then. I'll get your things sent there and help you settle in as soon as your recovered."

"Arigato (3), ojiji."

That said, the Sandaime left the room. Once he was in the hallway he called over an Anbu with a rabbit mask.

"Please stop by the orphanage and take Uzumaki Naruto's belongings to the HQ."

"Hai (4), Hokage-sama." The Anbu then disappeared from sight.

The old man then proceeded to walk back to his office. He had one last arrangement to make.

* * *

The Hokage sat in his office, waiting. He had sent a summon for a particular Anbu and was currently awaiting her arrival. Just as he was beginning to get impatient, she appeared with a poof of smoke.

"You called?" She asked.

"Hai. Uzumaki Naruto is moving into the headquarters and I want you, Snake (5), to be his sensei. You may request help from other Anbu if you wish, but no one outside the Anbu must know about this."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The purple-haired woman then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The Sandaime sat back in his chair with a sigh.

'I have high hopes for you, Naruto.'

* * *

Two years later…

A group of missing-nin was hiding in a cave. The traitors had joined together and formed a group who were known to raid villages and kill innocent villagers, including children. The peace in the cave was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of four Anbu. Three of them were unknown, but the leader caused everyone to freeze in terror. Judging by his height he could be no older than seven, but his name was known everywhere. He was called the Killer Kit, the strongest of the Konoha Anbu. No one except the Hokage and perhaps his squad mates knew his real name and appearance. All that could be seen from behind his mask was the young Anbu's bright blonde hair.

"You have betrayed your villages, ignoring the rules that bound you to them. As such, we have been ordered to exterminate you. Any last words?" The Killer Kit suddenly asked. The bandits, still frozen by fear, said nothing.

"Very well then. Let's get this over with."

That said, all four Anbu unsheathed their gleaming katanas and ran into the cave. The screams that erupted from the cave could be heard throughout the forest.

* * *

Four Anbu stood still in front of the Hokage. Each of their masks showed a different animal. Their masks represented a snake, a bird, a fox, and a dog. The one with the fox mask stepped forward.

"Mission complete, Hokage-sama. We have exterminated the group of missing-nins located near the border." He spoke, not stumbling on a single word.

"Very well. All of you besides Fox are dismissed." The three Anbu standing behind the fox left, announcing their departure with three poofs of smoke.

"Fox, please remove your mask."

The Anbu complied, removing his mask to show azure eyes and whisker marks on his cheeks. Blonde hair, freed from the mask, seemed to spike up even more, if possible. The Sandaime observed the young boy before him.

The old Hokage had been right to expect much from the boy. He had flourished under the direction of two select Anbu. He seemed to be unaffected from the amount of violence his job required him to witness. The boy had a very positive and playful personality, but he could be serious when needed. The six-year-old was extremely strong, and, even though almost no one knew who he truly was, he was admired under his nickname "the Killer Fox."

The old man had to worry however. Naruto had no friends his age and was rather untrusting of everyone in the village. It was those thoughts that pushed him to his decision.

"Naruto, I have a new mission for you."

"Already?"

"Hai. I'm sure you're aware of the Uchiha Massacre, correct?"

"Hai."

"Well, there is one survivor, Uchiha Sasuke. He will be entering the Academy this year. I want you to also enter the Academy and make sure he does not betray the village or get hurt. I will provide you with an apartment to live in. You shall remain at your position as Anbu Captain and will sometimes be sent on missions if required. This mission is considered an S-Rank ongoing mission. Do you accept?"

"Hai, but I must ask, am I supposed to act a certain way?"

"No. You may act as you wish, as long as you do not reveal your true status or mission. Understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-ojiji."

The Sandaime smiled at the nickname. Naruto had never stopped calling him that, even when he entered the Anbu at the extremely young age of five.

"Alright then. Come back later to find out where you will live. You may go."

Naruto nodded, and left the room with a simple "See ya."

* * *

Naruto was walking down the streets, deep in thought. He had exchanged his Anbu outfit for a black t-shirt with a red swirl in the middle and black pants with pockets all over them. He wore a red jacket over his t-shirt that had his signature red swirl on his right fore-arm, above his Anbu tattoo. His kunai pouch was on his left thigh, as always, and he had a backpack on that was filled to the brim with scrolls.

Each scroll contained an object sealed inside of it. One of his scrolls, for example, held his katana. Another held some emergency food. All of the other scrolls held what little belongings he had, so that when he learned his new address he could easily move in without trouble. One particular scroll held his Anbu equipment, in case of emergency.

Ignoring any glares he received, Naruto continued wandering thorough the streets with no actual destination. Eventually he reached a park, and decided to sit down by a tree, still thinking.

'Hmmm…. I can act as I want to, eh?' He thought. 'How should I act? Serious? No, that could make me look suspicious. But what wouldn't make me look suspicious?'

He looked across the street, staring into the window of a nearby clothes store. He walked over to it and cautiously entered.

'Maybe I can get some ideas from the clothes here…'

He looked through racks of clothing, searching for some inspiration, but saw nothing of interest. Then he found it. A bright orange jumpsuit, sitting on a shelf near the very back of the store.

'I got it! I know how I should act to avoid suspicion!' He thought.

He took the jumpsuit from the shelf and went to the counter to buy it. Thankfully, the old lady was one of the few who didn't hate him too much, so all he received when he left the store was a silent glare. But that was better than insults in Naruto's mind.

He sat around in the park, thinking up the rest of his disguise. The sun was setting once he had thought of all the details.

'I better go get my new apartment's keys.' He thought, and ran off towards the Hokage tower.

* * *

When Naruto entered the Hokage's office, he found that there were three people already there. Two of them were Mitarashi Anko and "Yamato"(6), his senseis, and the last one was the old man himself.

"Alright, Naruto, here are your keys. You begin at the Academy tomorrow." Said the Sandaime, and after giving him instructions to the apartment, he let the Kyuubi vessel say goodbye to the two people he was closest to.

Once that was done, Naruto turned to leave the office with a simple goodbye. The Hokage said one last thing before he left.

"Remember, Naruto, nobody must know."

* * *

When Naruto entered his apartment, he noticed that it was already furnished. He quickly unsealed his things and spent the rest of the night arranging his new home. After a quick dinner of cup ramen, he went to bed, falling asleep after three minutes of staring at the Hokage Mountain through his window. Asleep, he had a little meeting with the Kyuubi.

* * *

In Naruto's mindscape:

Naruto looked around, confused, until he recognized his surroundings. He was in front of the golden bars that held the Kyuubi captive.

"Hello?" He asked, "Kyuu, are you there?"

"Hello, kit." Came the reply from behind the bars.

Naruto had learned about the Kyuubi when he entered the Anbu. When he first met the demon, the first thing he had asked was why the fox had attacked Konoha. According to the nine-tails, he had been told by a "snake-man", as he put it, that the village had been planning to kill his family. He had attacked in a blind rage, only coming to his senses once he was sealed. The young boy had forgiven him, and, from then on, the vessel and the tenant had been friends, with the demon sometimes offering advice and helping with training.

"So, Kyuu, what did you call me for?"

"I just wanted to know how you planned to act like starting tomorrow."

"Well, I couldn't think of anything at first. Then I saw that jumpsuit and I realized it. If I wanted to be ignored I had to try and search for attention. Also, no one would expect an extremely loud person to be in the Anbu. So I decided I was going to be overly loud, obnoxious, playful, and lazy as I could. I think it should work."

"That sounds like a good plan. Unfortunately, you're stuck here until you wake up, so you might as well train so you don't forget anything. Start practicing hand signs. We'll work on strategies later."

Naruto grumbled a little, but did as he was told. Even though he was asleep, he didn't get any breaks. That, however, was the way of the Anbu, and Naruto would always follow it if he had to.

Naruto was working on a theory for a new jutsu with the fox when he heard an incessant beeping. He awakened, opened his eyes, and sighed. His new mission began today. With another sigh, he got out of bed and prepared for the day and what it held for him.

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Well, there you have it! The first chapter/Prologue. I plan on having the new chapter out tomorrow. I'm going to get a few chapters done quickly** **then slow down to a chapter a week. In any case, I hope you like it. This chapter did turn out a lot longer than I expected. It was originally only supposed to be a page or so, but it ended up being five and a half pages. It also did NOT follow my original plot, but it still fits my plan. In any case, here's this chapter's glossary. Bye!**

**Sandaime: The third Hokage. The Fourth was the Yondaime, the fifth will be the Godaime, and I might mention the word Rokudaime, the Sixth Hokage. **

**Ojiji: Naruto's Nickname for the Sandaime. It basically means "Old Man" or "grandpa"**

**Arigato: Thank You in Japanese. 'Nuff said.**

**Hai: Yes in Japanese.**

**All Anbu will be called by the name of the animal on their mask when they are wearing it. This is how no one knew of Naruto's identity in the Anbu.**

**It has been stated somewhere that he preferred to be called Yamato instead of his actual name. Seeing as this is not his actual name, he has no last name.**

**-Harmony**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2- The New Kid**

**Hey everyone, and welcome back. I can't believe that people actually read my story, though no reviews so far… Ah well! Without further ado, I present to you chapter 2 of the Truth Behind Him! (And my apparent rhyming skills… )**

General Narration

"Talking"

'thinking'

"**Kyuubi Talking"**

_Emphasis

* * *

_

Naruto was quiet as he ate his ramen. He had put on the orange jumpsuit and was trying to enjoy the quiet before he left for the Academy, which he had no doubt would be noisy, but, due to a certain fox demon, there was no silence to enjoy. Who knew the demon was so talkative?

"**Okay, kit, when you get there be sure to make a grand entrance! It will surely give you the appearance you want. Oh and-"**

Naruto sighed and went back to his breakfast, trying to ignore the incessant chattering in his head.

"**-Don't answer any questions the senseis ask you-"**

Suddenly the blonde wished the Kyuubi had a kit of it's own to deal with so that he could be alone.

"**-and…. Kit? Kit are you listening?"**

Naruto silently headed out the door, slipping into his act. But under the surface he was extremely nervous.

'It's just a bunch of kids, it's just a bunch of kids, it's just a bunch o-'

"**KIT!!!!!!!" **The Kyuubi's sudden cry snapped him out of his thoughts.

'What do you want?' Snapped the container, rather annoyed.

"**I was TRYING to help you know how to act today, but obviously you already know how to, so I'll just leave you alone." **The Kyuubi retreated back to the depths of Naruto's mind once he had made that proclamation.

'Oops.' Naruto thought. Training with the Kyuubi that night would most likely be very painful.

Naruto pushed aside his thoughts. He had just reached the Academy, and he needed to act accordingly. He walked towards the Academy with a grin on his face, ignoring the glares he received from parents on his way. The children didn't notice and continued to jump around excitedly with their friends. As soon as he was near the door, he made his announcement.

"Everyone, the great Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage, has arrived, dattebayo!" He wasn't quite sure where he got the "dattebayo" from, but it seemed to fit in with his new attitude so he didn't care. His announcement given, he slipped inside the Academy, ignoring the mutterings about the "demon child" and the "monster."

* * *

Naruto sat, bored. Class had started two hours ago and he already had an idea of how the next year would go. He looked around the room at his classmates, analyzing them.

* * *

From what he could tell, most the girls followed the young Anbu's charge like a pack of dogs would follow someone holding a bag of dog treats. He assumed the parents allowed this behavior in hopes that their daughters might someday marry the "Uchiha prodigy." Naruto knew, however, that this behavior would not help the girls in becoming good kunoichis (1) and might even cause their death someday.

The young avenger himself was staring out the window, head over his folded hands, seemingly brooding. The Anbu silently wondered if the Uchiha was even nice. It would surely make his job a lot easier if he was. Unfortunately, Naruto had a feeling he would instead be arrogant and spoiled from all the attention he received. Naruto moved on and continued his inspection.

He noticed a boy with pineapple hair sleeping on top of the desk next to another boy who happily munched on chips when the sensei wasn't looking. The Anbu judged that one was a Nara and the other an Akimichi from their behaviors. If he was correct, which he was, he had a feeling the Nara would be saying the word "troublesome" all the time while the Akimichi would barely talk and just keep eating. He spotted a girl with bright blonde hair sitting next to a girl with a red boy in her pink hair sitting behind the two boys. Judging by the blonde's eye color, she was a Yamanaka.

'Hmm, they must be trying to reform the Ino-Shika-Cho formation,' mused Naruto, 'I can't blame them; I was assigned a mission with them once. I know how strong they are.' He continued his sweep throughout the room. He had no idea of the pink-haired girl's identity.

His eyes fell on a brown-hair boy with strange red markings on his face. A dog was perched on his head, marking him as an Inuzuka. Inwardly Naruto groaned. He could already tell that his classmate was hot-headed, like most Inuzukas were. A few chairs away sat a boy with small round sunglasses and a coat with a collar that hid half of his face. Focusing his attention on the bug-like boy, the vessel squirmed; he could sense the presence of the Aburame clan's chakra insects.

Turning his head to the left, Naruto completed his inspection by analyzing a Hyuuga, judging by her lavender pupil-less eyes. The observant shinobi (2) noticed that there was something different about her. She didn't see prideful or over-confident at all. She appeared to lack self-confidence instead.

'She seems interesting. I think I'll keep an eye on her.'

Naruto was awakened from his thoughts by a hand waving in front of his face.

"Huh?" He said, looking up. He followed the arm attached to the intruding hand and found himself face-to-face with his new sensei.

"Well, de- Naruto, now that I have your attention, how about you answer the question?" She asked sternly, glaring slightly.

Internally Naruto frowned. He had noticed the slip up and could tell the woman didn't like him. But no one in the class could see his true thoughts. The demon container had slipped under his mask and was grinning and scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ano (3), Sensei, could you repeat the question?"

The class laughed and Naruto grinned even wider. Apparently he had just earned the title of class clown. In reality, he had known the question and the answer. He just wanted to convince everyone he was an idiot before he did anything. The kids calmed down and class continued.

* * *

It was lunchtime, and Naruto was nervous again. He had calmed down during class, but the stress was back. He had no idea who he should sit with. The undercover Anbu had learned that first impressions meant everything back when he was still young. He noticed the Nara, Inuzuka, and Akimichi sitting at a table in the playground. He walked over to them confidently.

"Do you have room for the future Hokage, dattebayo?" He asked loudly when he reached his destination. After a minute the Nara looked up and replied.

"It's troublesome, but you can sit with us."

Naruto happily sat down with the three other boys. They talked throughout the lunch break and got acquainted with each other. The Nara was named Shikamaru; he was the stereotype of his clan: a lazy genius who only liked sleeping and watching clouds. Akimichi Chouji ate his chips throughout the lunch hour, as Naruto has suspected. Inuzuka Kiba, Naruto noted, was even more hotheaded than expected and seemed to like to make fun of people. They weren't the perfect friends but they were nice enough; they fact they talked to Naruto made him happy. The lunch break was over all too soon and the students were ushered back into the classroom for another long lecture on the basics of chakra.

* * *

Naruto watched the other children get picked up by their parents before leaving on his own to the Hokage Tower. His Anbu tattoo was warm and glowing, a sign of his summoning. As he left, he couldn't ignore the parents that were warning their kids to stay away from him.

* * *

The Sandaime's office door opened and a head of golden hair and cerulean eyes peaked through before the door opened fully, showing a six-year-old boy in an orange jumpsuit. The Hokage smiled when he saw his visitor.

"Come in, Naruto. I needed I break from my paperwork."

"Ano, Hokage-ojiji, if you don't mind me asking, why did you summon me?" Asked the confused blond.

"Well, Naruto, I wanted to see how you were doing, of course." Replied the old man, looking straight into his adopted grandson's eyes.

"Oh. Is that all? Because I don't know what to say…" The blonde spoke timidly.

"Just tell me what happened today on your mission."

"I can do that!" The boy, now knowing what to do, began his "report."

"Well, I noticed a lot of children from some of the larger clans. I noticed that there is a possibility to reform the Ino-Shika-Cho team if you wanted to with the original team's children." The Anbu took a deep breath before continuing. "I have also noted that most of the females in my class seem to be obsessed with the Uchiha. You might wish for a lecture to be given about working for yourself, the mission, and your team, not to impress anyone. Also…" Naruto paused; he didn't exactly wish to say what he needed to.

"What is it, Naruto?" The old man pressed gently.

"Well, the sensei and parents don't seem to like me… I was wondering if I should leave the Academy and rejoin the class later, Ojiji." said the young boy.

"As much as I would like to, Naruto, I cannot for it might jeopardize your mission. You do understand that, correct?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"In any case, I will be giving you missions from time to time. They may stretch across for several days, so you'll get a break from time to time. In any case, we can't allow our best Anbu to lose his touch, can we?" said the Hokage, smiling at the boy.

"Arigato, Hokage-sama." Said the boy, blushing furiously at the praise he received.

"You are dismissed. Come back whenever you want, though." said the kind old man.

"I will. Goodbye." Naruto turned around and let the room.

The Sandaime sighed and returned to his never-ending war with his paperwork.

* * *

Naruto walked around the streets. He had finally noticed a flaw in his perfect act. He could not act wary and on guard while he walked through the streets. Instead, he needed to smile and act like he didn't have a care in the world. Needless to say, he, as any other seasoned shinobi would be, was very displeased with this. He knew, however, that he couldn't drop his mask so he continued on, trying not to give to much notice of his surroundings.

He was surrounded by drunken men five minutes later. They wasted no time pushing him into an alley and pulling out an alley.

"Well then, shall we kill the demon?" said one of the men. The other two just laughed.

Naruto's head exploded with panic. He acted purely on instinct, knocking the men to the ground and running all the way back home. Once he arrived at the apartment he immediately went to bed without eating and cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Naruto was safe, in front of the golden bars he could almost consider a second home. The fox stepped forward and gave the boy a sadistic smile. Naruto gulped. He had forgotten about the argument-if you could call it that-he had this morning with all the events that happened. The demon opened his mouth and began to speak.

"**You know kit, I was going to have you do ten thousand push-ups and sit-ups, but I decided to go easy on you." **he proclaimed, giving an air of generosity. Naruto sighed with relief. Perhaps he was off the hook.

"**As your punishment you must listen to my entire lecture on how you should act without getting distracted."**

Then again, maybe he wasn't. With a sigh the Jinchuuriki (4) sat down cross-legged in front of the seal to listen to the lecture to end all lectures.

He realized that it wasn't so bad when it started. There was actually some good advice in there, the best being to get a crush. He thought about that a little. It was a good plan, but who should he like? He remembered his classmates, searching for his target. Finally, he chose someone. A certain pink-haired girl would have an admirer soon.

He was about to tell the Kyuubi that he would follow the wise fox's plan when he was awakened to a familiar buzz on his arm. He looked at the clock, which read 3 A.M. He dressed quickly and headed to the Hokage's office, disappearing into the streets' shadows.

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Well, there's chapter 2, right on schedule! I was wondering if I should include a fight scene next chapter. Please note that if I do it will be very short, as I have zero experience writing them. There will also be a HUGE time-skip next chapter, unless a few people beg me not to put it in. Well, I leave you with the glossary. Ja ne!**

**-Harmony**

**1) Kunoichi: a female ninja.**

**2) Shinobi: term for ninja.**

**3) Ano: Japanese version for "um"**

**4) Jinchuuriki: a human with a demon sealed within them.**

**For those who don't know, "Dattebayo" is what Naruto says at the end of his sentences in the Japanese version of the anime, though I'm not sure about the manga. It has no actual meaning. In the English dub Naruto says "Believe it!" instead.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3- The First Trial: Here Come the Gennin Exams!**

**A.N.:**

**Hey there! I decided I'm just going to do the short fight scene and timeskip and give you another update! Also, I'm currently celebrating 'cause I actually got a REVIEW!!!!! In response, I would just like to say that I'm inventing as I'm going along, even though there are a few things that I am SURE will happen later. People are actually reading my story! It's a miracle! Ahem, anyway… One last thing before the chapter starts: this story line has been torturing me for months!!! Random chapter ideas would just come into my head and torture me! So that's why I'm writing this story. Just so you know…. Now, On to the Chapter!!!!

* * *

**

Ramen. A certain Uzumaki's one true love. Naruto had been obsessed with ramen since the Sandaime had taken him to eat it one day after Naruto's first completed mission. The genius had stopped by Ichiraku's Ramen Shop every day since.

Naruto was craving ramen, as he had not had any that day. He was very tempted to ignore the summon just to go eat some. He ignored those thoughts and continued to fly on top of the rooftops towards the Tower.

He entered the office to the sight of his current squad-mates waiting for him. The Hokage and the three other Anbu turned to look at him as soon as he entered, but the strong shinobi turned back to the Hokage when they had seen who had entered.

Naruto lined up with the others and awaited orders.

"Anbu Squad 2, you have been summoned to exterminate or capture an intruder in the village. Age, rank, and weapons are unknown. Report back once the mission is complete. You are dismissed."

Squad 2 disappeared with a poof of smoke.

* * *

Takami Mikoto ran through the streets, a black cloak hiding her movements and a mask over her face. She had stolen the scroll she needed to complete the mission from the Hokage Tower. It was surprisingly easy, so easy any more experienced shinobi might be suspicious. But she was only a rookie jounin, not as fearful as most would be. Now that she had retrieved the scroll she only needed to get back to her village. The woman smirked, unseen beneath her mask.

* * *

Naruto and his squad flew through Konoha, jumping rooftop to rooftop. They had located the intruder and were now pursuing them.

"All right," began the Fox, "You three corner the intruder and I'll attack them. Back me up if needed."

"Hai, taichou (1)." The other three said and disappeared as dark blurs.

She was almost out of the village. Just a few more yards and she would be out of the most dangerous area. She couldn't believe her own luck. She would have never expected a village infiltration to be so easy. She was almost out of the quiet town when three dark figures surrounded her. She looked at their faces and froze. They wore the mask of the Konoha Anbu.

'Shit.' She thought. 'I'm doomed.'

A fourth figure, sorter than the others, jumped right in front of her.

"You have entered the village without permission and stolen an official scroll. You must know face the consequences." came the voice behind the fox mask. Mikoto frowned; the voice sounded to you for someone with such a high position. She observed the mask.

'A… Fox? Wait… Isn't the best Anbu have a fox mask?' she thought. Unbeknownst to her, the Killer Kit had continued.

"You must come with us peacefully or we will have to use force."

"No way in hell am I coming with you." retorted the hot-headed kunoichi.

"Very well then. It's your funeral… Literally." Spoke the child, holding a katana that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

The katana was a fine piece of work; it had a golden fox chasing up the blade and the kanji for "fox" engraved in the hilt. It was Naruto's most prized possession; the Sandaime had given it to him on his fifth birthday. The gift was the first one he ever received.

"Just try it, gaki (2)." taunted the kunoichi, not a doubt in her mind. She decided that the Killer Kit must not be as strong as he was said to be. He was, after all, still a kid. He couldn't be _too_ dangerous. She pulled out a kunai.

Naruto took a ready stance, and yelled, "Dance of the Shimmering Moonlight!"

He ran forward, dancing as he hit the enemy. She tried to fight back, but found herself succumbing to her wounds. She was shocked when the Anbu stepped back. He hadn't even broken a sweat. She started to charge forward, and was promptly punched in the gut. She crumbled to the ground.

"You attempted murder on an Anbu. The only punishment now is death."

That said, Naruto took the scroll from her hands, then stepped back and, his katana already gone, began to form hand seals. He announced the name of his jutsu.

"Katon, Gokakyuu No Jutsu!" He yelled, lifting his mask slightly to blow a large fireball from his lips.

Mikoto's last thought before she was engulfed in flames was simple.

'He really is as strong as they say.'

When the flames died out, all that was left was a pile of ashes and a slightly melted Iwa headband, glistening in the light of the rising sun.

* * *

The Hokage sighed. He was getting to old for this. The old man pulled open the scroll that Squad 2 had dropped off earlier. He read the first line and was surprised.

'Naruto's birth certificate? Why would they want that?'

He read the document until his eyes rested on something. The name Namikaze Minato. He turned to a picture on the wall of a smiling man with spiked blond hair and cerulean eyes. The Yondaime Hokage.

'Minato, why didn't you tell me? Was it for his protection? Why?'

* * *

Six years later:

Naruto trudged through the streets tiredly. There had been another intruder last night; he and his squad were up all night chasing him. Ever since that event six years ago he had been called out almost every evening to deal with the infiltrators. He was starting to get irritated by it. The tired fox-boy checked a clock through a shop window and began to run through the streets. He was going to be late again, and on the day of the Gennin exams, no less!

He arrived at the Academy thirty minutes late.

* * *

Naruto sat waiting patiently. As far as he could tell, every person who had been called to be tested had passed. He began to wonder exactly how easy the exam was.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The Anbu got up and follow his sensei, Iruka.

When he entered the room, he looked over at his other sensei, Mizuki. He had always gotten a bad feeling from Mizuki. He decided that if he wanted to find out more he would have to fail; he could tell that was what the suspicious sensei was obviously hoping for. He was already a Special Jounin, anyway. And so, he purposefully messed up the easy Bunshin technique, and then acted sad when he failed.

He sent a message to the Sandaime at lunch with his plans. He new his "grandfather" would understand. So now he was waiting outside the Academy on a swing, looking sad, waiting for his sensei to take the bait. It wasn't long before Mizuki approached him.

* * *

Across the yard, a subdued Hokage and sensei watched this interaction.

"Iruka, I must speak to you in private. Please follow me" the Hokage sated, before disappearing inside the halls that were normally filled with shinobi-hopefuls. Iruka silently followed him.

* * *

When the Sandaime established that the room he entered was empty, he turned to face the curious Chunin.

"Hokage-sama? Why are we here?" asked the instructor.

"Umino Iruka. What I am about to tell you is an S-ranked secret that only I know of. You may not speak of it once you are outside this room, unless it is with me."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Good. Have you ever heard of the Killer Kit, Iruka?"

"Hai. He is the best shinobi in the village, not counting yourself. What about him?"

"The Killer Kit also goes by another name, Iruka…. He also goes by the name Uzumaki Naruto."

Iruka's eyes widened. 'No! Impossible! Naruto was the worst in the class! How could he be an Anbu?!' Iruka then voiced his thoughts. The old man sighed after listening to him.

"Iruka, the Naruto you know is a fake. Naruto was assigned a long-term mission to protect the Uchiha. He created the personality that you know as Naruto so that he wouldn't be suspicious."

"Sou ka (3). But that doesn't explain why he failed."

"He failed so that he could figure out what Mizuki was up to. Naruto is suspicious of him. He is now on a self-appointed mission, and failing the test was required to continue it."

"Oh."

"One last thing before you leave Iruka. Naruto is an orphan, like you. He was alone almost all of his life, including when he was in the Anbu. Please, treat him well."

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama." Stuttered a surprised Iruka. He then turned around and left the room.

* * *

Later that night:

Naruto looked around. He had pretended to learn the techniques in the forbidden scroll. In actuality the old Hokage had taught them to Naruto a few years ago. They were surprisingly easy with his chakra reserves. He was about to go back to "practicing" when he heard a rustle in the bushes. He turned a saw Mizuki standing near him.

"Okay, Naruto. Now that you have learned a jutsu from that scroll… YOU WILL DIE!!!!" yelled, Mizuki, rushing towards Naruto, who simply created ten Kage Bunshins. Four of them stepped forward and grabbed the imposter's arms and legs, cementing him to the ground. The other Narutos stepped forward and knocked him out. They then dispelled themselves. Naruto unsealed his Anbu outfit and changed quickly, sealing his jumpsuit away. The Anbu then slung Mizuki over his shoulder and headed back to Konoha to hand the crazy nin over to Ibiki.

* * *

When Naruto got home, he crashed on top of his bed. He didn't awaken for a day. The Sandaime let him sleep, for he knew how tired the young boy was. When the demon vessel woke up he simply took out his headband from the drawer by his bed and left the apartment after get dressed and having his breakfast, which was, as always, ramen.

* * *

When Naruto arrived at the Academy for orientation day, he received a few odd glances, but everything was fine besides that. Until he actually entered the classroom. As soon as he sat down he was attacked by a certain Yamanaka.

"What are you doing here, baka (4)?!" she asked rudely. "You're supposed to have actually graduated to come."

"But I did graduate." Naruto calmly replied. "Look at my forehead."

The other blonde did, and then promptly left him a small "Hm."

Iruka entered the room a few minutes later. He looked and found Naruto sitting at his desk, apparently sleeping. The instructor frowned lightly. That was the best shinobi in the village? Then he remembered the conversation he had with the Sandaime the day before. According to the Hokage Naruto had been going at missions almost every night and didn't get much sleep. Iruka snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed a girl waving her hand in the air.

"Yes, Sakura?" he asked wearily. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

Sure enough, the girl pointed at the know-awake Naruto and asked, "Why is a baka like him here, Sensei?"

Now that Iruka knew that Naruto was only acting, he managed to see the quick flash of hurt appear in his eyes. Iruka turned back to Sakura and replied with a half-truth.

"Naruto is here because he managed to successfully complete a B-ranked mission night before-last."

All the new Gennin looked at the boy in question in awe. All except for one.

"Hn. You're still a dobe, dobe." Spoke the Uchiha. Everyone began ignoring the fox-boy again after hearing what he had to say. Iruka wanted to scream after seeing how well the class followed the Uchiha's command. He cleared his throat, and began his lecture on what it means to be ninja.

* * *

An hour later, the so-called "dolphin" was giving off the new teams.

"… Team 7 is composed of Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura-"

Naruto jumped for joy. "Yatta!" he yelled, before settling back into his seat.

"-and Uchiha Sasuke. Your instructor is Hatake Kakashi."

This time Sakura jumped for joy while Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other. After a quick sigh and head shake, Iruka announced the last few teams.

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Well, there you go. Hehe, the Yondaime makes his "appearance"! In case you're wondering, official scroll is basically a scroll with official information in it. And yes, I do realize that most, if not all, of my conversations are with the Sandaime. But he's fun to write, so there! Also, Iruka means dolphin, for those who were curious. Ja ne!**

**-Harmony**

**Taichou: captain or leader**

**Gaki: brat, I think…**

**Sou ka: I see**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4- Enter Team 7**

**Really-Long-and-Annoying-A.N.:**

**Hey, I have a slight story to share, and yes, it does have something to do with this fanfic. You see, I had multiple ideas for plot twists in the story, and I finally decided on one (well, actually a few, depending how you look at it)! You guys are going to HATE me after I'm through!!! In any case, the itinerary is…**

**-Tomorrow/Friday: Land of Waves mission**

**-Friday/Saturday: Chunin Exams: everything before the invasion**

**-Saturday/Sunday: the invasion**

**After that the updates will come around once a week, as originally planned. Well, the story has passed the 1000 hit mark already!!! I can't believe how many people are actually bothering to read this! While I'm at it I would like to thank a certain reviewer (you know who you are) who gave me some ideas/advice for the story. Oh, and the other reviewers as well. In any case, on with the chapter, and sorry if it's shorter than others!!! Onwards!!!!

* * *

**

The newly joined Team 7 was bored. Very bored. All the other students had already left with their new senseis. Even Iruka-sensei had left an hour ago. Naruto was starting to question the jounin's skill. He decided to make a little test to learn a little bit about his new sensei.

He grabbed a blackboard eraser and carefully put it on top of the door in a way that would cause most of Kakashi's face, but avoid his eyes. Err, eye.

"Naruto-baka, what are you doing?!" demanded an infuriated, but secretly excited, pink-haired girl.

"Playing a prank, what else?" responded Naruto, trying not to wince at his teammate's screech. The third member of Team 7 decided to join in on the conversation.

"Hn." Said the "prodigy", before turning back to the window to brood.

Team 7 waited. And waited. And then waited some more. Finally, the Copy Nin appeared, four hours late. He opened the door, and the eraser fell on his face, making him look like he had fallen headfirst into a pile of either chalk or flour.

'Hn. This guy doesn't seem to tough.' Thought Sasuke, already putting himself above the jounin.

'I can't believe he fell for it!' were the thoughts of a certain kunoichi.

Naruto grinned. He had secretly put a tiny amount of chakra to help conceal the eraser until one actually saw it. Apparently his trick worked well. He would use it next time he fought. All three gennin looked over expectantly at their new sensei.

"Well, my first opinion of you is that I hate you. Meet me on the roof."

'I see, he seems to underestimate people because of their age. According to the way he stands he doesn't trust people very much. He must of lost someone important to him when he was younger.' Mused the blond-haired shinobi.

The jounin then took out an orange book that the undercover Anbu recognized from the Hokage's office, and disappeared with a poof of smoke. Two of the Team 7 members started to run up the stairs. Once the classroom was empty, Naruto made a Kage Bunshin and sent it up to the roof in his place. The real boy snuck off to go train.

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke ran outside onto the roof to be met with the sit of their sensei, waiting for them.

'Well, there's Pinky and Mr. Prodigy, so where's the other one?' thought a certain Cyclops. 'Ah, there he is… Something's off though. I can't tell what it is.'

The two gennin and the Kage Bunshin took their places in front of him.

"All right. Now that we're all here, how about we introduce ourselves. Just state your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams."

"Kakashi-sensei, you should start so that we know what you want exactly." Suddenly stated the orange-loving "gennin."

"Fine. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have some likes and dislikes, none really important, my hobbies are a secret, and I have no dreams."

The younger three members of Team 7 seemed rather annoyed at the sorry excuse for an introduction.

"Alright then. How about you start, bubblegum?" Sakura hated her new nickname, but started talking anyway.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. My like are-"Sakura looked at the prodigy and blushed. "-my hobbies are-"Sakura looked back at the Uchiha and giggled "-and my dreams are-"Sakura looked at the prodigy and squealed.

"And what are your dislikes?" asked the sensei.

Without hesitation she replied, "Naruto-BAKA!!!"

'Fangirl. Figures I always have one on my team.' Commented a certain jounin.

"Alright, raven, your next."

"Hn. My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I have no likes and I dislike everything. I do not have a dream, but an ambition that I will complete, to kill a certain man and revive my clan."

'Well, I saw that one coming. Maybe the blonde will be better.'

"Blondie, you're up."

Naruto grinned a very large grin.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, Hokage-ojiji, and nice people. I dislike mean people, fangirls, and those who think everything in life will be handed to them. My hobbies are training, eating ramen, and making ramen. I can't remember last night's dream, but night before last I dreamt that I had apple pie-flavored ramen, dattebayo!"

'Well, that was interesting. At the very least the kid's entertaining.'

"All right. Report to training grounds 11 tomorrow at the crack of dawn. The real test, which has a 66.66 failure rate, will take place there. Oh, and don't eat breakfast, you'll only throw it up."

Kakashi disappeared and went to hide in a nearby tree. He couldn't help but chuckle at his new team's reactions. Sasuke looked slightly shocked, Sakura was completely pale and Naruto was… Staring right at him?

'Hmm… He probably thinks he's the strongest kid in the group. I'll knock some sense into the kid once the other two leave.'

Sakura and Sasuke were both gone five minutes later, but "Naruto" just stood there, apparently waiting on something. Kakashi jumped out of his hiding place and facing the brat.

He quickly ran forward to knock the kid out. Before landing his punch he whispered, "You're not the best you know." into the boy's ear. He landed the punch in the kid's gut and was shocked to only see the vessel smile at him before vanishing in a poof of smoke.

'Kage Bunshin?! How those that kid know Kage Bunshin?!' Kakashi quickly left the scene to go read his book.

* * *

At the training grounds, Naruto received all of his clone's memories. He listened to the instructions for the test and decided to eat and sleep anyway. He knew his sensei would be late anyway, and he felt the part about the food was a bluff. He quickly left for his apartment, chuckling when he heard his clone's introduction.

* * *

The next day:

Sakura was furious. Kakashi was late again, and today Naruto had even joined in on the act! 'He's such an idiot!' she thought to herself. She wanted to get the test over with so that she could eat. She was so… hungry. She was about to scream in frustration when Naruto arrived. Kakashi arrived five minutes later.

"YOU'RE LATE!!!" yelled two of the gennin. One was faking it, the other wasn't.

"Maa, maa, gomen (1), I got lost on the road of life."

'What kind of idiots those he take us for!' thought the kunoichi. As if on cue, both she and Naruto yelled at the same time.

"LIAR!!!!"

Kakashi ignored them and explained the rules for the test. Once he told them to begin, all three gennin hid in the bushes. Naruto wasted no time sending a Kage Bunshin to "challenge" Kakashi and snuck off in Sakura's direction.

"Sakura-chan, I have a plan." He whispered, causing her to jump slightly.

"And why would I work with you?" she retorted.

"Because I'm you're teammate; that's what you're supposed to do. Besides, you can help me get Sasuke-teme (2) to join us." came the slightly gentle reply. The girl nodded, and followed Naruto to Sasuke.

When they found him, they tried to convince him into a plan. It was finally Naruto's statement that he wouldn't be able to train by himself if they failed that got him to agree. Of course it was Sasuke who thought up the plan. Naruto said that could both have the bells if the plan succeeded; he conveniently forgot to mention that it didn't matter if he passed or not. After a minute, all three rookies went to start their plan. Naruto was up first. He leaped out of the bushes, his clone already destroyed, and started to attack Kakashi. As soon as Kakashi pulled out his book, Sasuke fired a Gokakyuu no Justsu at him. Taken off guard, the jounin didn't notice Naruto kick him in the shin. On cue, Sakura swept in and took the bells. Mission complete!

'Impressive… they managed to pass...' were the silver-haired man's only thought on the matter. He congratulated them on passing with a closed-eye smile, the poofed to the Hokage tower to report his new team's success.

As soon as he left, the three remaining members of Team 7 acted as if nothing had happened. They all left to their own activities.

* * *

Three weeks later:

D-ranked missions now had a new name. Naruto had dubbed them the "missions from hell" on their second day as a team. Now, almost three weeks later, he couldn't help but feel that he _was_ in hell. He pulled out another weed with a sigh.

'Cleaning the park? What kind of excuse for mission is this?' he wondered, complaining vocally as well. His teammates ignored him, as always. He ignored the fact they were ignoring him. It was almost like a routine now, one that Naruto hated. He finished pulling weeds and started to grumpily clean the benches.

* * *

"Pink Princess, in position.' Said a voice over the static of a radio.

"The Avenger in position. Target is in sight, around fifty feet away."

"The Ramen King is in position."

"Good. Three, two, one, go!"

There were many yowls and cries of "OW! That hurts!" before Sakura reported, "Target captured, Kaka-sensei."

"Good. I'll meet you at the tower."

The three gennin began to walk back from the forest to the tower, one appearing indifferent, the other holding a fat cat by its neck, and the other covered in scratches and bites mumbling something about evil cats.

* * *

The door to the mission room opened to reveal a rather annoyed Team 7. As soon as they returned, the female team member handed the cat to its owner with a fake smile, wjile Kakashi lazily reported, "Mission complete, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage was slightly worried when he noticed the look on Naruto's face. His eyes were glinting mischievously. 'I sure hope he isn't thinking what I think he is.'

The shinobi in question was currently having evil thoughts.

'I wonder if Ojiji will let me take a special assassination mission concerning a certain cat later… But first…' The undercover Anbu stepped forward, ignoring the eccentric lady strangling her cat.

"Hokage-ojiji, I DEMAND a higher-ranked mission!" he cried. His sensei's eye widened, and he had a hand covering his mouth before he could say "C-ranked mission."

Iruka's eyes widened and he stood up and started yelling at the unfortunate twelve-year-old to be more respectful. 'And to think he's in the Anbu…' He pushed that thought aside, launching into a lecture about the mission ranks that almost put Naruto to sleep. When he was done the Hokage smiled and said something that shocked almost everyone.

"I think I have what you're looking for, Naruto. A C-ranked escort mission to the land of Waves. What do you say?"

"I like it." Was all Naruto said. In reality he would have preferred a higher ranked mission, but a C-rank was much better than a D-ranked mission.

"Kakashi, do you accept?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Then it is decided. Team 7, please meet your client. Send in Tazuna."

On cue, an old man holding a bottle of sake (3) walked in. The first thing out of his mouth was, "Do you honestly think these brats can protect me? I mean, the shortest one looks like he's still a baby!"

The Sandaime closed his eyes. He knew what would happen next, and it wouldn't be pleasant. People tended to learn quickly not to insult or anger Naruto. Team 7, Tazuna, and Iruka were about to see why.

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Woot! Two chapters in one day! I'm on a roll! In any case, the next chapter might take a while because I'll have to re-watch the anime to figure out how I'm going to write it. Did you notice Sasuke's and Sakura's oocness? The reason behind it is that Naruto is a leader in Anbu. He knows how to get people to do what he wants. Well, he does in my story, at least. Also, I like to start my chapters with a little comedy, as you might have noticed, but the beginning of next chapter is going to take the cake! Ja ne!!!**

**-Harmony**

**gomen: Sorry in Japanese.**

**Teme: bastard in Japanese… I think….**

**Sake: a Japanese alcoholic drink.**


	5. Chapter 5 part 1

**Chapter 5 – Murky Waters (Part 1)**

**A.N.:**

**Here's the first part of the new chapter. There will be a chapter vital to the story after the second half of the chapter, which is coming out tomorrow. Thanks for the favorites, alerts, and reviews. 'Nuff said.

* * *

**

Tazuna blinked, and found himself tacked to the wall by some well-aimed kunai. One kunai in particular was dangerously close to what made him a man. The drunk gulped and dropped his sake bottle.

"I assure you, Tazuna-san that I am qualified for this mission. To further prove my point, you have the great chance to see my genjutsu." stated the blonde coldly. "But first…"

'Oh no. He isn't going to use _that move_, is he?' The Sandaime began to worry.

"Parched no Jutsu!" Cried the boy, and the Hokage paled considerably. Naruto was angrier than he thought.

"Tazuna-san, my jutsu ensures that all of your alcohol is destroyed, and you will get shocked any time you try to consume any during the next week."

Tazuna turned white as a sheet.

"Now I hope you enjoy my genjutsu. Naruto Style: A thousand Kills!" Naruto then promptly left the scene.

'Oh no, he did you that genjutsu. It shows the person under it every single kill Naruto has made. And when it's over or dispelled… Tazuna will think he looks like a girl for a week.' the Hokage did not say anything, however, for it might arouse some embarrassing questions if he did.

Tazuna fainted and slid to the floor after a few seconds. Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, and Iruka looked stunned- and confused.

"What the _hell_ was that?!" asked Sasuke, finally breaking the silence. The oldest man sighed; he was going to have to say something after all.

"That was an angry Naruto. And _that_," the old man pointed at Tazuna, "are the effects of Naruto's genjutsu. I suggest you don't provoke him, if possible. You are dismissed, and drag Tazuna out while you're at it.

Nodding dumbly, Team 7 did as it was told. Kakashi had an opinion on what had just happened.

'How did Naruto do that? According to his file he was bad at everything. He's hiding something…' The team leader kept his thoughts to himself.

* * *

The next day, Team 7 and a self-conscious Tazuna (who would think he looked like girl for three days) met at the village gates. Naruto acted excited, jumping around, even though he had actually been out of the village at least fifty times. The vessel couldn't help but roll his eyes when his female teammate asked if the Land of Waves had shinobi. If it did, they were missing-nin or on a missing, nothing else.

Both Anbu and ex-Anbu's alarm bells when off when they noticed the puddle. It hadn't rained in months; where had the puddle come from? Nonetheless, both shinobi discreetly prepared for an attack.

Three minutes later, Kakashi was "killed" by two missing-nin who jumped out of the puddle, the Demon Brothers.

Thinking quickly, though perhaps not thoroughly, Naruto quickly threw two large, dull kunai towards the attackers, controlling them with his chakra. The brothers fell to the ground in front of a frozen Sasuke and Sakura, unconscious. Naruto tied up the enemies to a tree while Kakashi reappeared from the woods.

"Good work, Naruto. Sasuke, Sakura, good job at guarding Tazuna, but don't freeze up next time." Kakashi then proceeded to write a note for whichever shinobi stumbled across the two missing-nin to bring them to Ibiki for interrogation. Then he began an interrogation of his own. He turned to Tazuna, his face professional.

"Tazuna-san, why were the demo Brothers after you? And why is this a C-Ranked mission if you knew shinobi were after you?"

Tazuna told his story, mentioning Gatou along the way.

'So, Gatou is behind this. He won't be able to tell the difference between his parents when I'm done with him.' thought Naruto. He had once had a mission involving Gatou, and took it upon himself to kill the midget ever since he got away. Naruto snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head gently.

"Well then, you three, shall we continue the mission?"

"Hn."

"If Sasuke-kun is staying, then so am I!"

"No way am I going to abandon a mission!"

"Then it's agreed. Tazuna, my team has decided to help you in spite of the dangers. You three, stay on guard incase of an attack. Let's go."

The two gennin and undercover jounin nodded and continued down the path.

* * *

Team 7 and Tazuna were almost at the latter's house when Naruto heard a rustle in the bushes. On instinct, he flung a kunai in direction of the noise.

"NARUTO-BAKA! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" shrieked a certain girl. She marched into the bushes and reappeared with a snow white rabbit in her arms.

Both jounins noticed the rabbit's color. It was spring, and rabbits were only white if it was winter or if they were kept indoors. Seeing as it was spring, then…

"Everyone duck!" cried Naruto as an over-sized sword flew directly above their heads, falling by the shore of a lake thirty feet away.

A man with bandages covering most of his face jumped out a tree and went to grab his sword. The Copy Nin was lifting his hitaite (1) to reveal his Sharingan when smoke from a smoke bomb filled the area. When the smoke cleared, he found himself in the woods, being watched by one of Naruto's Kage Bunshin. He peaked through the trees and saw… himself. After a second he realized that his copy was actually Naruto under a Henge.

'What is he up to?' wondered Kakashi. The kid was obviously hiding something. He looked at Tazuna, and could see Sasuke, Sakura, and another Kage Bunshin guarding him. He heard a clang, and focused his attention on the fight. Naruto was holding a sword he had never seen before and was attacking the S-rank nin with a fluid dance. A second later, and Zabuza and "Kakashi" were facing each other, trying to predict the other's next move.

"Well, if it isn't Kakashi the Copy Nin. Said to have mastered over a thousand jutsus. I'll enjoy killing you."

"Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist. S-rank missing nin wanted for attempting to overthrow the Mizukage (2)."

"I see you know me as well. But enough talk. Now it's your time to die."

Naruto began to make handseals, so fast that his hands were a blur. He finished, and, holding the final seal, yelled, "Katon: Karyuu Endan! He blew a flaming dragon from his mouth.

Zabuza began to form handseals when he saw the dragon.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" A water dragon emerged form the lake and began to attack the fire dragon. The fight went on for ten minutes, until both dragons were dispelled.

Naruto charged towards Zabuza, aiming a punch at his jaw. Zabuza jumped back a little, only to be swept of his feet by a roundhouse kick. He crumbled to the ground and started to stand back up, when a fist connected with his head, sending him to a world of darkness.

Naruto had taken his sword back out and was about to deliver the killing blow when three senbon lodged themselves in the missing-nin's neck. A hunter nin jumped out of a tree and walked over to Zabuza.

"Thank you for helping me exterminate Zabuza. We have been trying to kill him for a long time now. I'll go get rid of the body." The hunter-nin left without another word.

'That must be Zabuza's accomplice. Those senbons couldn't have killed him. We better prepare for another attack.' thought Naruto, still under Henge.

He then turned to the rest of "his" team. Well then, we should probably head back.

In the trees, the Kage Bunshin who had been restraining Kakashi from joining the fight let him go.

"You should follow them. You and Naruto will switch places around dinner time." The Kage Bunshin then dispelled itself.

'Naruto is definitely much stronger than I thought. He didn't even break a sweat!' thought Kakashi, even more suspicious than before. He discreetly followed his team in the shadows.

* * *

Someone was approaching Naruto in their sleep. Unfortunately for them, Naruto was a light sleeper. They were about a foot away when the boy stood up and shoved them against the wall, putting a kunai to their throat.

The silver-haired intruder had never been so scared. This gennin managed to detect his presence while he was asleep! And what speed he had! Some _jounins_ were slower than him!

"Kaka-sensei?" asked the boy. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing." replied Kakashi. 'And snoop around a little.' he added silently.

"Well, I'm fine."

"Good. Come down for breakfast. We're going to be training this afternoon."

"Hai, Kaka-sensei."

* * *

Later that morning, the four shinobi were in a clearing in the middle of the forest. Kakashi declared what they would be training.

"Today you're going to be climbing trees."

"Why? We already know how to."

"Yes, but not with only your feet."

Kakashi demonstrated. Channeling chakra to his feet and walking up a tree. "See?" he asked.

"Sugoi! (3)" cried Sakura. Kakashi, feeling rather superior, was surprised to see Naruto rolling his eyes.

"Naruto? Do you think this is boring? Because you can only be good with hard work, you know."

"I know that!"

"Then why do you look so annoyed?"

Naruto was cornered and he knew it. He was going to have to show off some of his skill. He casually went over to the tree and walked up to the top, not even bothering to channeling his chakra first.

"Sou ka. So you already know the tree-walking exercise. Do you know water walking as well?"

Naruto hesitated for a minute, then nodded.

"Kakashi-sensei, may I go train by myself?"

"Um, sure. May I watch?"

"I guess so…"

Unnoticed, a certain Uchiha was brooding again.

'How did he get so powerful? I must learn his secret so that I can kill Itachi sooner!'

Kakashi flicked two kunai at the gennins' feet.

"Here, mark your progress with those. Come to me when you finish the exercise and I'll teach you something else." He silently prayed that the two were slow learners; he wanted them to take their time so that he could watch Naruto train. Alas, that was not to be. Sakura mastered the trick right away, so Kakashi had to go watch her. He helped her learn a trick to boost her small chakra reserves.

Meanwhile, Naruto was having an all-out battle with a hundred Kage Bunshin while another hundred practiced jutsus. He decided to train lighter today to avoid attention.

Sasuke was alone, trying to climb up the tree with his chakra.

* * *

The next two days passed peacefully. The night the second night Naruto fell asleep in the forest and awoke the next the morning to find a figure glancing at him a few feet away.

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Well part 2 will be out tomorrow, so stay tuned. The first chapter of the Chunin exams is expected to be out either Sunday or someday next week. (After that chapter, updates will be every WEEK, just to remind you) And just to remind you again, there WILL be an extra chapter between the end of the Land of Waves arc and the Chunin Exams. That's it! Ja ne!**

**-Harmony**

**I invented those two jutsus for that scene. I thought they were funny….**

**hitaite: The headband/forehead-protector all ninja wear.**

**Mizukage: the Kage of the Village Hidden in the Mist (Kirikagure)**

**Sugoi: Wow! Amazing! Or something like that…**


	6. Chapter 5 part 2

**Chapter 5- Murky Waters (part 2)**

**A.N.:**

**Hi… cough cough stupid cold… I have a small poll for you guys! I have a plot twist planned that changes almost EVERYTHING, but I decided that you guys should have a say on whether I write it so… Here are your choices!**

**Huge Twist: **

**Twist, but not so huge: **

**I don't care!!!: **

**No twist: (Um, the story would be pretty boring then, ne?)**

**Thanks for all the reviews/ advice!!! Anyhow, enjoy the chapter!**

**WARNING: Haku appears slightly meaner at the beginning of the chapter!!!

* * *

**

Sparkling brown eyes gazed into tired blue ones. Naruto observed the figure. The person had dark hair tied into a bun with two thick strands on the side of the stranger's face. The face itself was very beautiful, but the Anbu noticed that this person wasn't, in fact, a girl. The blonde's sense of smell was so advanced that he could tell the gender of anyone who approached him. The stranger seemed wary, and was in a position that suggested they were reaching for something, and they held a basket full of herbs in the crook of their right arm.

"Who are you?" asked the Konoha shinobi tiredly, standing up.

"My name is Haku. Pleased to meet you." replied the newcomer. Their thoughts weren't quite as polite however. 'I knew I should have done something. If I had killed him Zabuza-sama wouldn't have as many enemies to face.'

"Pleased to meet you as well. You are the "hunter-nin" that saved Zabuza a few days ago, correct?"

'How did he know?'

"Oh right. I can smell Zabuza on you. And before you ask, I cannot read your mind."

"Sou ka. Are you going to kill me then?"

"Why would I do that? You haven't attacked me." '…_yet_' added Naruto silently. "My name is Naruto, by the way. Would you like some help with those herbs?"

"H-hai…" 'Why is he bothering to help me? I'm the enemy! Unless, perhaps…'

The two gathered herbs in silence for a while. After around ten minutes, Haku decided to see if his thoughts were correct.

"Naruto-kun, why do you fight?"

"I fight for my village and those that are important to me, no matter how few they are."

"That's good. If you fight to protect your precious people, you will truly become strong."

"Is that why you fight, Haku?"

"Hai. I fight to help my precious person complete their dream."

"Haku, promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me that if we fight, then we will fight fairly, and try to avoid killing each other."

"Why? We don't know each other!"

"That's true, but I have a feeling that you could be one of my precious people if the circumstances were different."

"All right then, Naruto-kun. But if you kill Zabuza-sama, I might have to break my promise."

"I understand. How about we try to extend this promise to those we protect, too?"

"Agreed."

"Good. Here are your herbs. See you around." Naruto handed Haku a bunch of plants, the turned around and left the clearing, unknowingly making a friend.

'Naruto-kun, you truly understand how important precious people are. I will keep my side of the promise. I hope you keep yours.' Haku turned around and headed back in the direction to where Zabuza was staying.

* * *

Meanwhile:

"Where's Naruto-baka?"

"The dobe (1) probably forgot to come back last night, or something stupid like that."

"Maa, maa, you two, calm down. He'll be here soon, and then we can head to the bridge with Tazuna."

"Well, he should still have the decency to arrive on time during a MISSION!!!"

Naruto opened the door two Tazuna's house to be met with a furious Sakura.

'I'm going to kill him!' said inner Sakura. Sakura then charged at Naruto, her fist pulled back. She hit him on top of his head then proceeded to beat him up.

"BAKA" –punch- "YOU'RE" –kick- "LATE!!!!" –flurry of punches-

'Hn. The dobe deserved that. He really is holding me back, like I thought he would.'

'Hmm. I should remember to not anger Sakura. She's scary.'

After a few seconds of being hit, Naruto began to panic. He couldn't help it. All of the times the villagers abused him flashed in his mind.

'She's just like them… She's just like the villagers!' Sakura hit a wound in his hip that was still healing from the last beating and Naruto bit his lip. He couldn't lose control… He couldn't! The girl kicked the spot with all her strength and Naruto couldn't hold it anymore. He screamed in agony, tears falling down his face.

The kunoichi stepped back, shocked and afraid. She hadn't truly meant to hurt him badly. She looked at Naruto, who was still screaming. The scream was full of pain; both physical and emotional.

Kakashi was worried. What was going on with Naruto? The boy in question ran outside, the genjutsu he always kept around his body failing, revealing bruises, cuts, and scars all over his body. He was bleeding where Sakura had kicked him. Kakashi cursed and followed his charge, telling the rest of his team to go to the bridge with Tazuna.

* * *

He finally found Naruto in a clearing, sitting in a ball, rocking back and forth. Tears silently fell down his face. Kakashi got a better look at the boy in front of him, and almost started to cry himself.

Scars and bruises covered almost every inch of his body. Some scars appeared to be caused by kunai, nails, knifes, and even broken bottles.

'Why didn't I notice? How could I not notice that Naruto was hurt?'

Naruto looked up at him, and immediately jumped up, slipping back on his genjutsu and mask.

"Hey Kaka-sensei! Sorry about earlier. I hurt myself while training to hard, can you believe it? I suppose it didn't fully heal though so…"

Kakashi finally realized why he had not noticed anything. Naruto was always cheerful, stupid, and upbeat. No one would think he had been abused.

'What do I do? I'm not good at comforting people. I guess I should pretend nothing happened, because that's apparently what he wants.'

"Kaka-sensei? Kaka-sensei?" Naruto was waving a hand in front of the cyclops's face, grinning dumbly.

"Can we head back to the bridge now, sensei?"

"Umm… Sure." Kakashi wasn't quite used to such quick personality flips. It was unnatural to be able to change so much!

Naruto took off towards the bridge, leaving a contemplative and confused Hatake to follow him.

* * *

At Gatou's hideout:

"And they call you Demon of the Mist. Heh. No matter how many classmates you killed, you're no more than a baby demon, if anything. You had to have a kid save you!" yelled a short man. He was about to hit Zabuza in the face when a hand grabbed his fist.

"No one hurts my precious people, Gatou." Spat Haku. "And if you try to, you will learn why I'm an S-rank nin." He crunched Gatou fist, breaking a few bones in the process.

"You shouldn't stand up to me, kid." said Gatou, before leaving the room, trying to hide his fear.

"Zabuza-sama, here are some herbs that will help you heal faster."

"Good. That means I can kill the Copy-Nin sooner." Haku frowned lightly.

'I wonder if Zabuza-sama hurting Naruto's precious person counts as breaking the promise. If it does, I suppose I'll have to stop him.'

Haku pushed aside his thoughts and got to work healing the Demon of the Mist.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the bridge:

Sakura was worried. She had never seen anyone react the way Naruto did. She glanced at Sasuke. He seemed to be focusing completely on the mission, not even thinking about Naruto. She followed his example and helped a villager lift a bag of cement.

Naruto and Kakashi arrived thirty minutes later. Sakura decided to apologize right away. She took a deep breath then walked of to Naruto.

"Gomen (2), Naruto. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's fine Sakura-chan! I was wondering if you wanted to go get some ramen when the mission is over, dattebayo!"

All thoughts of being nice to the blonde shinobi flew out the window.

'NARUTO-BAKA!" yelled the girl, conking Naruto on the head.

Kakashi, who had watched the exchange, frowned. Could Naruto have been acting the whole time he knew him?

"Oi, you, with the silver hair, can you help me with this?"

Kakashi shook his head and went to help the villager.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully.

* * *

Four days later:

Naruto shot up in his bed. Something was wrong. He looked out the window. Everything seemed fine, the sun causing the water outside to shimmer. Wait… the sun?

'Shit,' thought Naruto, 'I overslept.'

He hastily got dressed and was heading down the stairs when he heard a yell, then three bangs. He ran down the stairs to see Inari standing up to two shinobi who were holding Tsunami, his mother, captive. Naruto was shocked, to say the least. Not only about the shinobi, but about Inari. He had apparently had a personality flip after the event two days ago…

* * *

Flashback:

Team 7 and Tazuna's family were sitting at the table eating dinner. Well, everyone but Kakashi. He had finished eating in less than a second. The others present wondered how he did it.

"… and Sasuke is going to train with me tomorrow. Naruto and Sakura, you two are going to guard the bridge. Naruto, send a Kage Bunshin if there's trouble."

Naruto began to complain about wanting to get stronger, but Kakashi cut him off.

"Maa, maa, Naruto, think of helping the construction as strength training. The villagers will probably be asking you to carry a lot of things."

"Hai! I _will_ get stronger and become Hokage, dattebayo!"

"Why even bother? You're going to die anyway, so why should you train?" spoke up Inari suddenly. "It's hopeless; Gatou is going to kill you!"

"Inari…" said Tsunami. She was about to continue, but was cut off by the sight of Inari being held against the wall by an orange-wearing shinobi.

"You're wrong! We train to get stronger to beat them! It's _not _helpless, no matter how much _you_ think it is!"

Inari was crying by that point.

"Oh, and crying doesn't fix anything! Being a crybaby won't get rid of your problems! I know you think you had it hard, but people have had it much worse than you!"

"What do you know?! You have friends! You're always happy! _You don't have anything to be sad about_!" cried Inari in anger.

Naruto dropped him to the floor and turned to leave. He said one last thing before exiting.

"Inari, some people are sad but choose to actually overcome it and deal with anything that is currently happening. Remember that."

Naruto left, and the room filled with silence. Inari ran up to his room, still crying. Kakashi had talked to him later, explaining what Naruto meant. The younger boy admired the blonde ever since.

End Flashback

* * *

One of the missing-nin stepped forward and raised his sword, preparing to end the young boy's life. He lowered his sword and, instead of hearing screams, like he expected, he heard a clang of metal against metal. He looked down and saw short boy blocking his attack with a beautiful katana.

"Naruto-niisan!" cried Inari.

"Naruto!"

Naruto pushed the first missing-nin back with his sword, and promptly slashed his gut. He then repeated the process when the other shinobi charged at him in rage. He then dragged the corpses outside and dumped them into the sea. He turned around and met two shocked faces. He grinned.

"A hero always comes at the last minute. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A clone appeared next to Naruto. "Listen, this copy of me is going to protect you two. Be careful anyway, got that?" Not even waiting for an answer, Naruto took off towards the bridge, where he could hear the sounds of battle.

'So Zabuza has recovered. Haku, I hope you keep your promise.'

* * *

At the bridge:

Mist covered the bridge, making it difficult to see. On one part of the bridge, Haku was using his ice-mirrors, being careful not to hit any of Sasuke's vital organs. At the most, Haku would knock him out, nothing more. He was slightly shocked when Naruto jumped into the ring of mirrors. Sasuke and Naruto started to try and find a way out of the jutsu, Naruto using Kage Bunshin, Sasuke using his newly-awakened Sharingan. Haku threw another flurry of senbon towards the Konoha shinobi. He didn't expect Sasuke to step right in front of the attack, being covered with the needles. Three of them hit Sasuke in the neck, putting him in a half-dead state. Naruto was in shock. What just happened? He was supposed to protect Sasuke, not the other way around! It was his _mission_ to protect Sasuke!

"Why, Sasuke, why? Why did you do that?"

"I don't know. My body moved on its own accord." Sasuke fell to the floor, apparently dead.

Naruto glared at Haku.

"Haku, you broke your promise. I suppose I have to break mine." That said, red chakra began to envelop Naruto's body. The blonde's hair became spiky, his eyes crimson, claws and fangs grew, and his whisker marks deepened. He charged at Haku.

"HOW DARE YOU?!"

* * *

Kakashi heard a roar, then felt a chakra he hoped never to feel again.

'Oh no.' he thought, and started to head in Naruto's direction, but was stopped by Zabuza's voice, coming from all directions.

"Now, now, Kakashi, you're battle is with me. Let your students defend themselves."

"Fine. Let's finish this quickly."

Kakashi began to form seals for a summoning jutsu.

'I can't let the Kyuubi escape! This better work!'

* * *

Back on the other side of the bridge, Naruto had grabbed Haku and was currently holding him in mid-air by the collar.

"HOW DARE YOU BREAK YOUR PROMISE!"

"Naruto-kun… Sasuke is… alive… He's only… knocked out… I… understand… if you… kill me anyway…" said Haku between pants.

Naruto's enraged look left his face upon hearing that his teammate was alive. The red chakra receded, the feral features left, and Haku was dropped on the floor.

"Gomen," said Naruto, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just… so… angry…"

"I understand, Naruto-kun. I would have done the same." spoke Haku. "I forgot; Zabuza is going against your sensei. He's going to kill him if we don't interfere."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Well, I suppose we have to end the fight, huh?" he asked, and held out a hand which Haku took, pulling him to his feet.

* * *

Sakura had heard a roar, and was very worried. What had happened to Sasuke? She wanted to go check on him, but she had to watch Tazuna. The old man seemed to notice this.

"If you want to check on him, I'll go with you."

She nodded, and took off in Sasuke's direction, Tazuna following her.

She screamed and started to cry when she saw Sasuke, and Tazuna looked on with sympathy.

'Why did he have to die? Why Sasuke-kun? Why did you die instead of someone else? Why couldn't it have been Naruto, at least?" she thought, sobbing as she held Sasuke close to her.

* * *

Kakashi summoned his nin-dogs, which then found Zabuza and held him in place. The Copy-nin charged a Chidori, and was about to strike the missing-nin when a hand grabbed his wrist firmly. He looked to the side and saw Naruto holding on tightly, while Haku was talking to Zabuza.

"Let him live, Zabuza-sama. They do not truly wish to harm us."

"Fine. But next time, I'll get them for sure."

Kakashi's Chidori disappeared and Naruto let go of his wrist.

"Why did you do that Naruto? That was very foolish."

"I did it, sensei, because of a promise." He walked over to Zabuza.

"Zabuza-san, killing everyone and using people isn't going to help you reach your goal. You should try to re-gain the villagers' trust somehow, and then convince them that you would be a better Mizukage than the current one."

"What would you know, pipsqueak. You aren't superior to me. Hell, you probably haven't killed anyone in your life!"

"You know what, Zabuza-san? I think I'll let you and Haku in on secret, as long as you don't tell anyone."

"Fine." Grumbled Zabuza.

Kakashi watched, curious. He couldn't hear a word. The mist had dispersed by then, and he saw Naruto whisper something to Zabuza and Haku. When he was done, the two he told his secret two looked at him in shock and, apparently, with respect.

'What did he tell them?' he wondered. He noticed Haku mention something, and then Naruto's eyes became saucers and he ran to the other side of the bridge. The three shinobi followed him at a slower pace.

When Kakashi saw Sakura holding Sasuke, he had an idea of what happened.

'I failed. As always. Why do I always fail my teammates?' he silently asked himself. Sakura put Sasuke back on the ground when she saw the group approach, tears falling down her face.

Naruto ran forward and removed three senbon from Sasuke. The Uchiha's arm began to twitch, and then the prodigy started to sit up. Sakura cried harder and started to fuss over him, while Kakashi checked on him, overcome with relief.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Naruto, Haku, and Zabuza turned towards the voice and saw Gatou, accompanied by about a hundred thugs.

"Kill them all." proclaimed the man, pointing his cane towards the small group. Zabuza took out his sword, Haku drew his senbon, and Naruto unsealed his katana.

Kakashi peered at Naruto's weapon curiously.

'That katana looks familiar… Where have I seen it before? Think, Kakashi, think!' he, fortunately for Naruto, still couldn't place where he had seen the beautiful weapon.

The three armed shinobi charged towards Gatou with and unspoken command. All of the bandits were dead three minutes later. Gatou was surrounded. Haku was on his right, Naruto to his left, and Zabuza in front of him, grinning sadistically. He raised his sword.

'They are demons, all three of them.' was Gatou's last thought before his head was chopped off, and a cheer resonated throughout the area. The shinobi and bridge builder turned in the direction of the noise, and saw a large crowd celebrating Gatou's death. Inari was in the front, hugging his mother.

* * *

One week later:

Team 7, Zabuza, and Haku were standing in front of the newly-built bridge. The villagers were saying their goodbyes. Inari went last, giving Naruto a big hug, a few tears falling down his face.

"Sorry, Naruto-niisan, I have disappointed you. I guess I just can't stop crying." said Inari with a sad smile.

"Inari, you baka, its okay to cry when you're happy." replied Naruto, a few tears falling down his own face. The group of shinobi then turned around and started to cross the bridge. Zabuza planned to follow Naruto's advice at some point, but he and Haku were going to wander around the countries for the moment. Team 7 was returning to Konoha to report the mission as a success.

Back on the bridge, the villagers were now debating what to name the bridge. They considered the "Great Naruto Bridge" in honor of the boy, but decided that wasn't very original. They finally settled on "The Great Kitsune (3) Bridge" because, Inari pointed out, Naruto's whisker marks gave him a very fox-like appearance. They had no idea how accurately the word "fox" described Naruto.

"Well then," began Tazuna, pulling out a plaque, "I guess I better put the name on the bridge, eh?" He quickly set to work engraving the plaque and attaching it to the bridge's post.

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Wow! That was my longest chapter yet!!! I know that the "angry Sakura" scene was slightly angsty, but what can you do. It was kinda required for the plot. Zabuza and Haku are still alive by request, even though the request was only for Haku to live. They will probably have a part in the story later. I skipped some stuff that happened because I assumed you already knew what happened. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Ja ne!!**

**-Harmony**

dobe: I think I already did this word… It means dead-last, idiot, etc…

Gomen: Sorry.

Kitsune: Fox

**(P.S.: WOOT! First flashback:D)**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6- Meeting with the Hokage**

**A.N.:**

**Hi there… Welcome back! A slight warning: There are a few scenes which contain abuse in them in this chapter. You can skip them, because they aren't really **_**required**_**, but read them if you want to… Oh right, the Chunin exams has been pushed back again… It will most likely start next week. The next chapter itself is supposed to be the last daily update. Oh, and for the MANY people that have asked/requested, Sakura WILL be getting her butt handed to her on a dirty plate and some point, not sure when, but I have an idea by who. MUAHAHAHAHAH!!!! Ahem… Poll is still existent… Just leave your vote in your review, please! If I don't have enough, you guys get my extra-evil twist of DOOM!**

**Huge Twist: **

**Twist, but not so huge: **

**I don't care!!!: **

**No twist: (In other words, no votes yet…")

* * *

**

"… and so, Hokage-sama, even though the mission was higher ranked than expected, we still completed it successfully." said Kakashi, finishing his verbal report.

"Good. Your payment is in the mission room. Kakashi, I expect the written report tomorrow. You are dismissed."

Team 7 left the office and collected their payment. They split ways afterwards.

* * *

Sakura walked through the streets, window shopping. She wasn't sure what she was looking for until she saw a jewelry store. She entered the store and started to look around. Her eyes fell on a locket.

It was very beautiful, heart shaped with diamonds around the rim. It was a shiny gold that seemed to catch the light even when there was none. Sakura knew that she _had_ to have it. She looked at it, then noticed a sign next to it. It said you could get the locket engraved.

'I know! I'll get Sasuke-kun's name engraved in it! Then he'll know I like him and stop being so shy! It's the _perfect plan_!'

She went to the front counter, got the jeweler's attention, and then pointed out the necklace. She left the story fifteen minutes later, with an empty wallet and instructions to return the next day.

* * *

Sasuke walked through the Uchiha district. He looked at every house, remembering the people that lived there. His aunt and uncle in the house at the end of the street. His grandfather in the large house to the right. He looked through the windows of a house and saw the furniture inside, exactly as it had been before the… _incident_.

'Why must this place haunt me? Why? I must get stronger; then I can avenge my family and no longer be haunted.' Thought the last Uchiha, as he walked to his house, stopping here and there, remembering what had been.

* * *

Naruto was on his way back home. He felt like he was being watched, and it annoyed him to no end.

'Hopefully they'll leave me alone when I get home.' He thought, ignoring any comments or looks he received as he traveled through Konoha.

His follower noticed this and frowned. How could the villagers? They were glaring at an innocent child. They were insulting an innocent child. A woman picked up a rock and threw it at Naruto, who ignored the pain and continued forward.

'Why are they doing this? He's a _hero_, not a _monster_!' the stalker yelled in his head. He continued on and almost slapped a woman when she warned her child to stay away from him because he was, "a monster. He will only cause trouble."

Naruto entered hi apartment, locking the door behind him. He sat down on his bed, staring at his hands.

'Am I a monster? A demon? What if they're right? I have killed, after all…'

"**Stop thinking like that kit. I'm the evil demon, not you. You're the stupid prankster." **commented Kyuubi, trying to cheer his vessel up.

'I suppose you're right… But I wish the villagers could see it.'

"**Well, if they can't see the real you, then they are foolish."** That said, the Kyuubi went back into the depths of Naruto's mind, leaving him to his thoughts.

The stranger, now seated in a tree by Naruto's window, saw him just sitting there, staring at his hands, and sighed.

'I suppose I have some time to kill.' The follower pulled out a familiar orange book and began to read.

* * *

An hour later, Naruto gave up trying to outwait his stalker and left the apartment. His shadow soon took off after him. He wondered why the blonde didn't turn around once to check if he was there; he had barely masked his chakra.

'Maybe he isn't as good as I thought. Or _maybe_, I'm such a good shinobi that he can't notice me!' thought the mystery shinobi, his pride raising a notch. He looked at Naruto's receding form and noticed a note the boy must have left in his wake.

'Maybe it has some information on it!' thought the shadow excitedly. He walked over a picked it up, his silver hair catching the light on his way.

He read the note. Then he read it again. And again. And again. The note had one sentence on it:

'Stop following me!'

The stalker ignored the warning and continued to follow his "target." They had almost reached the Hokage Tower when the follower found another note. It read:

'I mean it!'

The shinobi shrugged and continued on his way. When both shinobi entered the Tower (one after the other), they headed for the Hokage's office. Naruto knocked on the door and entered after hearing a muffled "come in." His shadow then slunk into the room. The Hokage's secretary noticed him and smiled.

"Hello, Hatake-san, how may I help you?"

"I'm here to see the Hokage."

"You'll have to wait a while; he's talking to Naruto-kun."

'Well, at least someone likes him around here. But the way she talked about him suggests that he visits often. Well, on to eavesdropping!' Kakashi took a seat right next to door into the office and tried not to look _too_ suspicious.

* * *

Inside the office:

"Hello, Naruto."

"Hey, Ojiji."

"Naruto, drop your genjutsu. Now."

"Why?"

"Because you are hurt. I know a few medical jutsu. I might be able to help the pain a little."

"Fine." replied Naruto. He dropped his genjutsu, revealing all of his scars and bruises. The Sandaime observed them with a critical eye.

"The villagers hurt you again recently, didn't they?" he asked gently. He knew that saying the wrong thing could cause Naruto to remember what happened. If he remembered, he wouldn't let anyone near him for days, his trust in people completely gone.

Unfortunately, it seemed that even that question, which generally worked every time, triggered Naruto's memory. His eyes glazed over, as if he was lost in his memories.

* * *

Flashback:

**(A.N.: Skip if you cannot take abuse)**

Naruto was on his way to the village gates. He was happy; he finally had a mission outside the village. As Anbu, he was only sent out to get rid of intruders, as always. He couldn't leave the village because his team might notice. The blonde was so happy he didn't even notice that a rather large group of people was following him until it was too late. He was cornered in an alley by the group. He silently prayed that the people wouldn't hurt him too badly. His prayer went uncalled.

Each villager took a turn punching and kicking him five times. That lasted for quite a while; there were around twenty people attacking him. They all laughed as they did it. Some spat at him; others merely insulted or taunted him. Naruto desperately hoped that was all they would do, but it was not to be.

Blue eyes widened as the villagers pulled out a multitude a sharp objects. Then one villager came forward and put a diagonal slash down Naruto's leg.

Naruto bit his lip and a single tear slid down his cheek. He would not yell; he would not cry.

The villagers continued to cut him. Finally, a villager stepped forward and stabbed him in his side. Naruto yelled; he couldn't help it. Pain enveloped his entire body. The villagers scattered, afraid that they had been heard. The abused boy put on his genjutsu, and tried to get to the gates as fast as he could. He managed to make it on time; he wasn't late. He tried to act as normal as he could as he walked down the road with Tazuna and his team.

End Flashback

* * *

"Naruto… They didn't do… _that_ again, did they? Asked the Hokage, who was now healing the bruises as well as he could.

He got no reply. He looked into Naruto's eyes and gasped. They were haunted now; completely haunted. He shouldn't have said anything. Naruto was now lost in another memory.

* * *

Flashback:

**(A.N.: Same warning as before…)**

Naruto was running through the streets as fast as he could. A large mob of people was following him. He eventually wore out and couldn't run anymore. He collapsed to the ground, the villagers surrounding him. A man picked up a large rock and threw at Naruto. Soon the boy was being covered by a flood of rocks. He yelled and yelled, as loudly as he could, until a particularly well-aimed stone hit him on the head, sending him into the darkness. He awoke three hours later, alone in the streets.

End Flashback

* * *

"Naruto? Naruto? Naruto!" cried the Hokage. He was trying to get Naruto to wake up again, to see life in those soulless blue orbs. The boy in question slowly remembered where he was and what he was doing. The Sandaime sighed in relief when he saw Naruto look at him.

"I finished healing you as much as I could."

Naruto simply nodded.

"Naruto, have you been getting any sleep lately?" asked the old man, notice dark bags under the twelve-year-old's eyes.

"Not really… I'm up all night because of missions that _someone_ won't stop sending me on! Oh, and I think Kakashi-san is starting to put pieces together."

* * *

Outside, by the door, an eye widened.

'So there _is _a secret! I'm going to find out what it is, no matter what!'

Kakashi was snapped away from his thoughts by the slightly muffled voice of the Hokage behind the door. He returned to his eavesdropping.

* * *

"How so?"

"Well, during the mission, I sort of fought Zabuza under a Henge that made me look like Kakashi. I had a Kage Bunshin take Kakashi and hide. According to the clone, Kakashi saw everything."

"Sou ka."

"Not only that, but I had to use Dark Hikari (1) near the end of the mission. I think Kakashi-san might have recognized it."

"Well, if Kakashi does figure it out, couldn't you use your powers as his superior not to tell anyone?"

"Well, I _could_, but I only want to use my powers as Anbu Captain to help people, not for my own selfish reasons."

"Well then, what about your powers as special jounin?" asked the old man.

"Ojiji, I think it's time I take over your position." Joked Naruto, "Iie (2). First of all, that's the same thing as using my powers as Anbu captain, and second of all… SPECIAL JOUNIN IS BELOW JOUNIN RANK!" cried Naruto, stepped forward and lightly bonking an embarrassed Hokage on the head.

* * *

Outside the office, a certain jounin's eye was around the size of a dinner plate.

'Anbu Captain?! Naruto is an Anbu Captain?! What the hell?!'

* * *

"Naruto, you might have to use them for the sake of your identity. After all, I think we might have a problem if people found out the identity of the 'Killer Kit', now, wouldn't we?" asked the Hokage with a small chuckle.

Naruto smirked.

"Hai, but at least then they might think twice about how they treat me…"

The Sandaime quickly and swiftly changed the subject.

"Back on topic, Naruto, you are being given a small break from Anbu. I only want you to focus on the Uchiha mission, especially with the Chunin exams approaching. And try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Good. You are dismissed. Bring in your weekly report tomorrow."

Naruto put back on his genjutsu, then turned and left the room.

* * *

When the blonde opened the door, he was met with a silver-haired jounin with eyes so wide they were about to pop out of their sockets.

'_Naruto _is the _Killer Kit_?! _Naruto_ is the _best shinobi in the village?!_'

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" said Naruto.

Kakashi quickly controlled himself.

"Hi, Naruto. How are you?"

"Sensei, you last saw me two hours ago. You should know how I am." joked Naruto.

"Right. Anyway, I have to go see the Hokage now. Ja ne!" Kakashi quickly entered the office.

Naruto sighed and left.

'You know, he could have been less obvious while he was stalking me. Oh well. Off to the ramen shop!'

* * *

Kakashi slammed the door to the Hokage office behind him.

"Ah, hello Kakashi. What can I do for you?"

The jounin glared at the Sandaime.

"What the _hell_ have you been hiding from me about Naruto?!" he exclaimed.

The Hokage sighed. "Take a seat Kakashi. This is a long story."

Kakashi complied, his eye twinkling with curiosity.

"It began when Naruto was four years old…"

* * *

At the ramen shop, Naruto sneezed.

'Is someone talking about me?' he wondered. He shrugged and returned to his fifth bowl of ramen.

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Well, there ya go. I had a lot of fun writing the stalker scenes, simply because I think it was a funny situation. In any case, Kakashi now knows Naruto's secret, the Hokage has a bump on the head, and Naruto is having a ramen-eating party… And yes, my sadistic side did come out a bit writing the abuse scenes… I feel so bad for poor Naruto!!! In any case, see ya next time!!!**

**-Harmony**

**Dark Hikari: Naruto's katana. The name is contradictory, because it means "Dark Light." It named it that because it has silver and gold on it, and it protects, yet harms and kills at the same time. Pretty fitting, ne?**

**Hikari: Light in Japanese…**

**Iie: No**

**(I'm not sure about the special jounin thing… It says they act as a regular jounin's subordinates, so I just assumed. Gomen if I'm wrong…)**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7- Confrontations**

**A.N.:**

**Hey everyone! Gomen for the late update, I had a lot of home work to do (among other things…) This chapter is a "bonus chapter" of sorts, because half of the chapter has something to do with the plot and the rest is a little side story. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS, ALERTS, and FAVORITES! I would especially like to thank ****KagomeGirl021 ****and ****Barking Spiders**** for all their reviews (how many times was it? Three??) and for voting in the poll… The standings are:**

**Huge Twist: 1**

**Not-so Huge twist: 1**

**I don't care: 0**

**No twist: 0**

**Just leave your vote with your review! Before we proceed on to the chapter, I have a little more to rant about, so bear with me. First, this is the last 'daily update". Updates will now be either every Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday. I will try to update sooner if possible. I may release a few One-shots during the week. After the Chunin exams I might be taking a week off to start another story. That's it! Onwards!

* * *

**

Sasuke dodged a low kick, then aimed a punch towards his opponent's jaw. The attack hit, sending his orange-wearing opponent flying across the field. He was putting all his effort into the spar, thinking that his sparring partner was doing the same.

Had the avenger looked closely, he might have noticed that his teammate hadn't broken a sweat, nor was he breathing hard.

Sakura and Kakashi were on the sidelines, observing the match. Sakura, now sporting a golden locket, was cheering on the Uchiha.

"Go Sasuke! You can beat that baka easily!"

Sakura glanced at her sensei, curious. The silver-haired man hadn't said anything since the spar had begun.

'Why is Kakashi-sensei twitching so much? And why does he look like he wants to say something?'

The masked man, on the other hand, was having a battle with himself on his mind.

'Now that I know the truth, I can see how much he's holding back. It's painful to watch really. But if I say anything it will make him seem suspicious to Bubblegum and Broody. But if I _don't_ say anything, I have to endure this. Ah, this is frustrating!'

Sasuke was getting irritated. No matter how many times he would hit the dobe, he would be standing again seconds later. The match would never end if the pattern continued. He was pulling back another punch when I voice rang through the clearing, stopping him.

"Come on, _Fox_, stop holding and give it your all!" cried Kakashi, finally having enough. His three students froze and stared at him.

'Oh god. He knows. This is not good! I repeat, _not good_!' thought a panic-stricken Naruto.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was shocked. What was Kakashi-sensei talking about? Naruto _had _to be giving it his all. If he wasn't it meant he could defeat Sasuke, and _no one_ could defeat an Uchiha!

His fangirl agreed with him thoroughly and decided to say so, unlike her "crush."

"Ano, Sensei, what are you talking about?"

"You see, Sakura, I realized yesterday that Naruto was holding back. If he wasn't he should have been able to land at least _one_ hit on Sasuke."

"No way! Sasuke-kun is so strong that Naruto-baka can't hit him!"

"We'll see about that." Kakashi replied, before turning his gaze back to Naruto. "Well, what are you going to do?"

"Fine. I'll put in 1. Any more and Sasuke-teme will end up in the hospital." 'I'm going to regret doing this. I'm probably going to look really suspicious now…'

Kakashi nodded, and the fight resumed.

Sasuke began to pull back another punch. 'Hn. I'll show the dobe what Uchihas are made of. He's no match to me.'

He was swiftly kicked in the gut, sending him into a tree at the other side of the clearing. He started to get back up, but found himself being pulled up by the collar. He was pinned to the tree behind him a second later, a kunai at his throat.

"It seems you lose, Sasuke-_kun_." taunted Naruto, earning a growl from the other boy. Then he turned around and walked to Kakashi.

"Hatake-san, we need to talk. Privately. Please follow me." Naruto walked off, Kakashi at his heels.

Two stunned gennin looked at each other, silently agreeing on something for once.

'That was weird.' The two thought simultaneously.

* * *

Naruto silently trudged deeper into the forest. He stopped and turned around when he was satisfied that no one would hear the conversation. Kakashi had stopped as well, and was silently staring at him. Naruto sighed. It seemed he would have to make the first move.

"Kakashi-san, I assume you know the whole story, correct?"

"Hai…"

"I thought so. Seeing as you know who I am, I politely ask you to keep my identity a secret. Not only would it jeopardize the Uchiha mission, the village would be in an uproar if they knew that the best shinobi in the village was the _Kyuubi Kid_." Naruto looked down, for a second, his hair shading his eyes, before looking up and staring straight into the Copy-nin's eyes. "Is that clear?"

Kakashi nodded. He noticed that he saw a flicker of sadness and despair in Naruto's eyes when he looked up, but decided to ignore it… for now.

"Before we return, do you have any questions?"

Kakashi, looked at the boy before him. He was standing perfectly straight, and carried an air of professionalism about him. He couldn't even recognize the prankster he knew as Naruto. The man thought for a second.

"Actually, I do have a question. What exactly is the 'Uchiha Mission'?"

"I was assigned the mission when I turned six years old." Kakashi whistled mentally. That was a _very_ young age. "The mission entails that I watch Uchiha Sasuke until he is deemed safe to the village. As you have surely noticed, Sasuke is rather unstable due to his family's massacre. He seeks power to avenge his clan. As far as I can tell, he will go to any extent to earn it. My assignment is to try to keep him peaceful and inside the village, while keeping my identity hidden. Is that all you wish to know, Kakashi-san?"

"Hai." Kakashi was overwhelmed with thoughts. 'So that's why he acts the way he does… If he acted smart and serious he would seem suspicious to almost anyone.'

"Good. Please, do not repeat any part of our conversation to anyone. This mission is an S-rank secret that I plan to keep."

Both man and boy returned to Sasuke and Sakura to resume training, and the morning continued on normally.

* * *

Naruto was walking home after having ten bowls of ramen at Ichiraku's ramen shop. He had decided for variety that day, and had eaten four different flavors of ramen, including one of the owner's new recipes. He was almost back to his apartment when he heard laughing and muffled crying. He looked into an alley and gasped. At the end of the alley was a boy dressed in green spandex and orange leg warmers, trying to fight off five boys that had surrounded him.

"You shouldn't be a shinobi!"

"You can't even use jutsus!"

"You must have passed the exam by accident!"

"You're a failure!"

The boys accompanied every insult with a punch or kick. Naruto, knowing the pain the spandex-wearing stranger must be in, decided to step up. He couldn't bare seeing people getting hurt for no reason.

"Go away! He's not the failure, _you _are, for hurting someone for having a disability!" cried Naruto, running in between the bullies to stand in front of the boy.

"Arigato." said the boy in green, looking at Naruto with eyes sparkling with admiration underneath large eyebrows.

"No problem." replied Naruto, grinning at the stranger. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto; pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you as well, Naruto-san. You may call me Rock Lee!" replied the boy. Naruto was about to ask him if he wanted to go get some food when a bully spoke.

'Oh. I forgot about the bullies.' thought Naruto, wincing slightly.

"Hey, look, isn't that the demon kid? I saw adults hurt him; how about we do too?" the bully asked his comrades.

"Yeah!"

"Let's do it!"

"This is going to be fun!"

"Go for it!"

The Anbu's eyes widened slightly. He looked back at Rock Lee and said, "Run."

"But what about you, Naruto-san?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just run."

"Hai. Your flames of youth shine brightly, Naruto-san. I shall do as you ask."

Rock Lee ran out of the alley, pushing past the attackers.

Naruto gritted his teeth. He knew he was in for pain. The five boys began to punch, kick, and even throw dirt at his eyes, determined to cover him with bruises.

* * *

Lee was running through the village.

'I have to find Gai-sensei!' he thought, 'He'll be able to help Naruto-san!'

He continued on, his speed causing a gust of wind to follow the green streak wherever he went.

Lee found Gai ten minutes later. It seems he and his eternal rival, Hatake Kakashi, were having another contest, this one being a ramen eating contest. A timer went off, and the two contestants declared how many bowls they ate.

"I ate five." Said Kakashi lazily, not really caring.

"Ahaha! It seems I have won, breaking the tie, for I managed to eat seven bowls in one minute!" Gai then noticed his worried student out of the corner of his eye. "Lee, what is it?"

"Gai-sensei! There's a boy in orange named Naruto-san being attacked by five boys!"

Both jounin seemed to jump slightly at the declaration.

"Where is he?" asked Maito Gai, barely hiding his worry.

"Follow me!" cried Lee, running off, the two jounin following him closely through the streets.

* * *

By the time the two jounin and the gennin arrived, around ten villagers had replaced the boys in abusing Naruto. They were punching and kicking with all of their might, and one was wearing brass knuckles, multiplying the pain. Kakashi winced when he heard the crunch of a bone breaking. His anger began to take over him.

'How could they?!' he thought, pushing through the crowd to protect his student. Gai took care of the villagers.

"I am afraid you gentlemen must see the Hokage for your unyouthful ways!" he exclaimed, picking them up and handing to an Anbu who had arrived hearing the commotion. The Anbu nodded and, after calling his comrade to help him carry the villagers, disappeared, jumping roof to roof on their way to the tower.

Kakashi, meanwhile, was livid. He had seen Naruto and had automatically wished he never had. The boy was covered with bruises, and many of his bones were bent painfully. His arms were bleeding, most likely from trying to protect himself, and a small stream of blood trickled down his face from his hairline. In spite of all these injuries, Naruto wasn't, unfortunately, unconscious. What shocked the masked jounin even more was that Naruto hadn't even shed a tear. He picked Naruto up, being careful not to jostle his broken bones, and started to head to the hospital with Gai and Lee.

Kakashi looked into Naruto's, now open, eyes, and where he normally saw bright blue eyes twinkling with mischief were soulless crystal blue eyes, the color so cold Kakashi almost shuddered.

As soon as his charge saw the hospital he started to struggle.

"Let me go." he said, still trying to escape his sensei's arms.

"Naruto, don't be ridiculous, you're in no condition to move, let alone walk." Naruto still continued to struggle, ignoring his sensei.

Gai looked at the orange boy sympathetically. This kid was the Kyuubi vessel, who was hated for something he had no control over. He was about to ask why when Lee did it for him.

"Naruto-san, why do you refuse to go to the hospital?"

"They don't like me. I generally don't get very good care, so it's better if I stay at my apartment anyway."

'The hospital staff is very unyouthful!' were the thoughts of two green-wearing shinobi.

Hearing the explanation, Kakashi decided that he might as well listen to the boy's pleas.

"Very well, Naruto. Where is your apartment?"

Naruto gave them instructions, and the small group set off for the place Naruto called home.

* * *

Naruto silently made a few seals as they walked up the stairs in his apartment building.

"Cleanup no Jutsu." He mouthed, placing another one of his custom genjutsus over his home.

When the quartet reached the front door, the three guests expected their companion to take out a pair of keys, and were surprised to see him bite his thumb and smear a bit of his blood on the doorknob. The door opened with a barely audible click, revealing a small, but still neat, apartment.

'Hm. He must have put that seal on to avoid intruders.' thought a certain cyclops.

The silver-haired man entered the one-room apartment and placed Naruto on the bed. The two taijutsu specialist looked over the apartment.

The apartment had little knickknacks on shelves on tables. On a bookcase there were around fifty scrolls, none of them labeled, making the older of the two spandex-wearing men what they held. A door in the far left corner led to the bathroom. The main room was divided into three areas. The first held a small kitchen area and a table littered with more scrolls, all of them filled with a vast amount of information. The second area held a couch, a bookcase, and a coffee table. There were three pictures on the coffee table. The first held the Sandaime and a young Naruto who was sitting in his lap in the Hokage's office. The second showed Naruto and Iruka sitting at the ramen shop apparently having a ramen-eating contest. Judging by the stack of bowls next to him, Naruto was winning. The third, and last, picture, showed Iruka, the Hokage, and Naruto standing in front of a large window. The Hokage monument could be seen outside. Apparently it was recent, for Naruto was wearing his hitaite.

The third, and final, area, had Naruto's bed, and small side table, and a dresser. There was a ramen poster on the wall, and a picture of Team 7 on the side table. Kakashi was currently looking after Naruto, who was lying on the bed. Gai and Lee stepped forward to watch Kakashi take the bright orange jacket off of his student, revealing a black t-shirt, some cuts and bruises, and an Anbu tattoo, outlined in red, labeling him as an Anbu Captain.

"Gai-sensei, what is that tattoo on Naruto-san's arm?"

Naruto froze, then sighed. 'One person learns something, and everyone else starts learning it too.'

Gai frowned; why did a twelve-year-old have an Anbu tattoo? Noticing the look on Naruto's face, he decided to ask a different question.

"Naruto, what mask do you have?"

"I could show you if you can get me the scroll on the third shelf, all the way to the right."

Lee quickly did as asked, handing the scroll to Naruto, who opened it and bit his thumb again. He smeared his blood on the scroll. A fox mask and Anbu outfit appeared in his hands a second later.

Gai's eyes widened. 'That kid is the Killer Kit? His flames of youth must shine very brightly then!'

His student noticed the widened eyes.

"Gai-sensei, what is so important about the fox mask?"

"I shall tell you later, Lee. Let us leave now. Naruto, we shall keep your secret, and may you recover quickly." Naruto nodded in appreciation, and the two left, after Lee said his farewell.

"Yosh!" he exclaimed, "May your flames of youth never die out!"

Kakashi left an hour later, leaving Naruto to his thoughts. He currently had only one.

'I can't believe that didn't notice that my arms, which were crushed, had already healed.'

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Well, there ya go! Most of the chapter was the Gai/Lee episode. The reason it doesn't really have any point in the plot is that those two characters don't really have a part, and I think I should give them **_**some**_** time in the story to be fair. Besides, they're pretty fun to write! Anyhow, see ya next week! Oh, and info on my next story will be put on my profile later! (It's 3:30 am… I spent way too much time typing… --")**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8- Tricks of the Mind**

**A.N. (super-long-edition!):**

**Ugh… Here we go… I always hated the Chunin exams. THEY ARE SO BORING!!!! Ahem. Anyway, I wanted to ensure that everyone understands why Naruto lets himself get hurt. As you have seen-err, read- Naruto is, in fact, super-powered. In this fic, he could kill the villagers in a blink of an eye. But, seeing as he has the Kyuubi in him, he could be charged for assaulting a villager (and executed) for accidentally bumping into them. So that's why Naruto doesn't try to defend himself. To put it simply, it's because the villagers are idiots. End of story. I have shown in Chapter 2 that he CAN get away from them, but he didn't last chapter because he was covering for Lee. (But don't blame the smaller Green Beast! It's not his fault!!) I only wrote this because a flamer, who shall remain nameless, said that because of that reason my writing sucks and that I should stop writing… Ah well. Anyway, the vote ended in a tie-ish thing, so, umm… you guys get something between a HUGE twist and a smaller twist… In my opinion at least. Anyway, Konohamaru makes his appearance! Behold! (****WARNING: ****There is a flashback this chappie!)

* * *

**

In the Hokage's office:

"Welcome everyone. I assume you already know why you've been called, so I suppose I might as well formally announce it." The Hokage's weary eyes flicked over to the corner of the room for a second, glancing at the Anbu that was hidden there.

"Konohagakure will be hosting the Chunin exams this year!" declared the Sandaime. "Any jounin wishing to nominate their teams step forward."

Four jounin stepped forward.

'My team should be strong enough… But what if I'm wrong? This is my first team!' thought the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha.

'My team's Flames of Youth shine brightly enough to pass!' were the thoughts of the Beautiful Green Beast.

'Heh. My team will pass without a doubt!' the jounin smoking a cigar reassured himself.

'Might as well. It means I'll get more time to read Icha-Icha.' thought a certain silver-haired jounin, his nose buried in a book. He glanced up from the orange novel, and noticed everyone staring at him. He took the hint.

"I, Hatake Kakashi, nominate Team 7 for the Chunin exams." Kakashi began to take a step back, but was interrupted by a brown-haired instructor with a scar across his nose.

"It's too soon! The exams are dangerous! Who knows what could happen to them! They are my students, and I know they aren't ready!" cried an enraged Iruka.

"Correction, Umino-san." spoke a voice from the corner of the room. The Hokage smirked knowingly at the confused looks on the rest of the room's occupants. They had all turned to look at the darkened corner as a short Anbu with a fox mask appeared.

'So he's decided to step in after all. May as well hear what he wants to say.' thought the oldest shinobi in the room.

"They _were_ your students, but now they are Kakashi's teammates. He knows their capabilities. Test them yourself if you have any doubts." The Anbu then stepped back into the shadows, his mask hiding the small smirk that adorned his face.

Iruka sat back down in his seat. It wasn't his place to argue with an Anbu, after all.

'Maybe I will.' thought the sensei. 'Well, maybe not Naruto, I don't really want to face an Anbu Captain.' The Chunin allowed the tiniest of sighs to escape his lips. The nominations continued.

"I, Yuuhi Kurenai, nominate Team 8 for the Chunin exams."

"I, Sarutobi Asuma, nominate Team 10 for the Chunin exams."

"I, Maito Gai, nominate Team 5 for the Chunin exams because of their Flames of Youth." The last jounin stepped back, ignoring the annoyed looks he received.

"Very well. Teams 5, 7, 8, and 10 will be participating in this year's Chunin exams. Dismissed." All of the jounin and the single chunin left the room, and a single Anbu took their place.

"What do you think?" asked the older of the two.

"They can handle it." replied the Anbu, taking off his mask to reveal brown hair and green eyes, which were quickly returning to their original colors. "Believe it." he added jokingly, before leaving with a poof of smoke.

The Sandaime sighed; he knew a lot of paperwork would result from this, one way or another.

* * *

Kakashi strolled through Konoha, bored out of his mind.

He checked the time and sighed.

'I still have thirty minutes until I'm officially considered three hours late to the gennin. What to do? I've already thought of today's excuse…'

The Copy-nin looked through the window of a bookstore and his visible eye bulged slightly.

'Is that the new Icha-Icha book? Hm, I think I know what to do with my time now…'

The jounin entered the store with an unseen grin.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Naruto hid in a tree, watching his clone unsuccessfully trying to interact with his teammates. The Bunshin grinned like an idiot all the while.

Naruto checked the time.

'Still thirty minutes until Kakashi-sensei arrives. I might as well make good use of it.'

Naruto jumped away from his teammates, and, after trading his Anbu uniform for the obnoxious orange jumpsuit, did a quick warm-up. He began with three hundred push-ups, sit-ups, and squats, then proceeded to perform two hundred punches and kicks. He finished with twenty laps around the small training area. His muscles buzzing lightly, Naruto performed Kawirimi (Replacement Technique) with his Kage Bunshin. He then dispelled the clone. Apparently nothing out of the ordinary happened, unless Sakura fawning over Sasuke was considered abnormal.

Naruto checked the time and held his breath.

'6…5…4…3…2…1!' there was a poof of smoke at one, and there stood Kakashi, holding a new book. He raised his hand in a lazy wave.

"Yo."

"YOUR LATE!!!" cried Sakura and Naruto.

'Although not by your standards…' added the blonde silently.

"Maa, maa, gomen, but I saw a new Icha-Icha book, so I had to buy it, and then I had to show it to everyone!" the jounin crinkled his eye happily.

"YOU'RE…" began Sakura, "… Telling the truth?" she finished confusedly. The younger males rolled their eyes.

"Anyway…" prompted Naruto.

"Oh, right. I nominated you for the Chunin exams. Here are the papers." The team leader handed the three a stack of papers. "Sign them and report to room 302 at the Academy tomorrow if you want to participate. Ja ne!" the jounin then left the same way he arrived.

Naruto glanced at his teammates. Sasuke was looking at the papers arrogantly, as if he thought it would be easy because he was the "last Uchiha." Sakura, on the other hand, looked slightly nervous, yet determined. Naruto knew he had to participate, but he also knew it would be a pain. He glanced at his teammates.

"Anyone have a pen?" he asked sheepishly, ignoring the fact that he had one in his back pocket.

* * *

Team 7 was heading out to eat. Sasuke and Sakura couldn't refuse Naruto's offer for lunch. They were doubtful at first, but the deal was sealed when Naruto said he would treat them to whatever they wanted. They were almost at their destination, a steak house, when Naruto turned around and yelled, "Stop following me!"

Knowing he couldn't be referring to them, they turned around and stared at the rectangular rock that was now in front of them.

"There's no one here!" came a muffled voice from the "rock".

"Konohamaru, give it up, I know it's you." spoke Naruto.

The rock exploded, revealing three Academy students, all covered in soot. The one with a blue scarf spoke up.

"Too" –cough- "many" –cough- "explosives" –cough. The student cheered up considerably after his uninformative sentence.

"Ah, boss, I would not expect less from you! You are such a great shinobi, after all!" the boy laughed. "In fact, you're as sly as a fox!"

The gennin froze at that statement. He knew Konohamaru had no idea what he had hinted at, but the blonde couldn't help but be alert.

"So, boss, will you play ninja with us? You promised!" said the boisterous student.

"A shinobi playing ninja? How ridiculous can you be, Naruto?" claimed Sakura.

Naruto relaxed a little. No one had thought about Konohamaru's fox statement.

"Ne, boss, is she your… you know?" said Konohamaru, wiggling his pinkie.

"Iie, Konohamaru, she's not-"

"Me?! Go out with _him_?!" shrieked Sakura. "You have to be kidding me!"

"Oh, good. I'm relieved then, boss. Her forehead is too big for her to be pretty, anyway." said the Hokage's grandson boldly. His two friends snickered and Sasuke smirked.

"What did you say?!" asked an enraged Sakura.

"I _said_ that you're forehead is too big to-"

Naruto tuned out of the conversation.

'The kid is still annoying, but I have to admit, he's much better then when I first met him.' Naruto fought back a chuckle at the memory.

* * *

Flashback:

Naruto stood in front of the Hokage, his two senseis next to him.

"-So that's why we believe that Naruto is ready-" Anko was interrupted by a crash. Immediately the three shinobi jumped into action. Anko and Yamato went to either side of the Hokage, weapons drawn, and Naruto took out a kunai and went towards the source of the noise carefully. He hoped it wasn't an intruder; he was only turning five next week. He knew it wouldn't be a good idea to try and face an experienced shinobi. He approached the intruder only to be met with the sight of a three year old boy, sprawled out on the floor. Naruto sighed in relief.

"Do you want some help?" he asked the clumsy younger boy.

"I'm fine!" replied the brunet, standing up, he returned to his march to the Hokage's office, and Naruto followed, curious of what would happen.

"Old man!" cried the toddler, "I challenge you to a duel! Whoever wins becomes Hokage!" The three people behind the desk sighed; they had to survive this every week.

"Now, now, Konohamaru, I have important business to attend to. Sit down. I'll talk to you when I'm done." The grandfather turned to the three shinobi in front of him, the three having resumed their positions as the Hokage gave his reply to his grandson.

"All right, Anko, Yamato, I have been watching Naruto's progress and I must agree with you. Naruto, congratulations, you are now part of the Anbu."

Naruto was in shock. Him? In the Anbu? He couldn't believe it. He was closer to achieving his dream of being a great shinobi.

"… And Naruto, I want you to stay for a bit."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Anko and Yamato left the room.

'That guy… is in the Anbu? But he's only two years older than me! He must be really good.' thought Konohamaru, awe-struck.

"Train me!" he cried at the blonde. "Please? You must be really good!"

Naruto chuckled softly. "I'm sorry, Konohamaru, but I'm afraid I'm busy for now. Maybe some other time."

The Hokage was watching this exchange with interest. He was curious of how the two interacted.

Konohamaru walked up to Naruto, pouting.

"You have to! I need to become stronger if I want to become Hokage! Besides, I'm the Hokage's grandson!" he said desperately.

"Konohamaru, heritage does not matter. If you are the Hokage's grandson, then you most likely have the finest trainers. Listen to them; gain knowledge from them. Work hard and become strong if you want to become Hokage. There are no shortcuts, only hard work."

"Hai, boss!" said Konohamaru, turning around and leaving.

The Sandaime was impressed. No one had ever been able to do what Naruto had.

"Naruto." The said boy snapped back into attention. "Follow me. We're going to the Anbu equipment house, so that you can get your armor and mask. From this day forward, you shall be known as Kitsune, or Fox, in the Anbu." The pair then left the room.

End Flashback

* * *

Naruto returned to reality. He saw Konohamaru and his friends turn around a corner into an alley, escaping an angered Sakura, and then he heard several yells. The Anbu followed the noise, only to be met with the sight of the blue-scarfed boy being held in the air by a teen only about a year older than Naruto himself. He wore an odd black garment with a pack covered in bandages on his back, and had purple face paint all over his face. Next to him was a girl with a large white fan, her dark blonde hair arranged into four ponytails. A Suna headband was tied around her neck.

"Come on, Temari, can't I have a little fun? I'll stop as soon as _he_ arrives." pleaded the black-wearing shinobi.

"Kankuro, we're foreigners. We can't afford to cause trouble."

"Damn straight, you aren't." said Naruto, who then grabbed the child and delivered a punch to the face in a second.

"And you, up in the tree, come down here." He added, for good measure. A redheaded boy with the kanji for love on his forehead jumped down. He had dark circles around his eyes, a sign of insomnia.

A voice that Naruto was all too-familiar with popped up in his head.

"**Kit, that boy has Shukaku sealed in him, and not very well, at that. Knowing him, he's probably torturing his vessel in an attempt to get out." **

Naruto nodded absentmindedly, then walked towards the redhead after letting go of his bundle.

"Hello, my name is Uzumaki Naruto, what yours?" he asked politely. He noticed that the pair from earlier was almost trembling in fear.

"Sabaku no Gaara."

"Pleased to meet you. Now…" Naruto walked closer to Gaara. "I hold the Kyuubi. He says that you hold Shukaku. Don't let him take over, no matter what. I'll see if I can help you. But if you try to hurt any of my friends, I will ensure your painful death." Naruto hissed into Gaara's ear. "Well, Ja ne!" The Anbu turned around and left the alley, leaving a group of confused people behind him.

* * *

Then next day, Naruto woke up before sunrise. He had a few things to do before heading to the Academy that afternoon. Mainly hoping that a certain Chunin didn't take his advice to test the other rookies. He decided to ask his teammates if anything had happened when he met up with them. He went into the kitchen to prepare his breakfast, which was, as always, instant ramen.

* * *

Elsewhere, two gennin were rather annoyed. Apparently Iruka _had_ in fact, taken the Killer Kit's advice to heart.

* * *

**A.N.:**

**Well, there ya go. I hope it was okay, at least… Or that it makes up for the last chapter, which I realize sucks. In any case, I have a quick thing for anyone who has been wondering about a small puzzle in the story. The question is: How does Kakashi recognize Naruto's katana? I'll give you two hints:**

**1) Look up Kakashi somewhere, especially his time as an Anbu. **

**2) Re-read the first two chapters**

**The answer should then be obvious. I'll give the answer next time. Ideas and criticism are appreciated, as long as they aren't flames. See you next week! Ja ne!!**

**(PS: And big thanks and hugs to all my reviewers! You guys are the BEST!!!)**


	10. Chapter 10AN

**Chap- Really-sucky-depressing-Author's-Note**

**A.N.:**

**Hey guys. I hope you don't hate me for the lack of updates, and that you won't hate me after this note. I'm just writing to say that The Truth Behind him is on hold due to extreme Writer's Block, school issues (I have some HUGE tests coming up in two weeks, so I have to study a lot.), family drama (you know, great-grandparents dying and the like…), and wacked-out weather (I had just finished the chapter when the power went out. And I forgot to save. Enough said.). You, the readers, have a choice now. Either you can wait a few weeks and I'll pick back up the schedule, or you wait a looooong time and I complete the story and update every day. Your call. In any case, to help the wait a little, I'll be writing a few one-shots that take place during the TTBH universe. I'll be taking requests for those. I'll be writing some random oneshots and twoshots and the like here and there; nothing big though. So in any case, I'm EXTREMELY sorry, but it's going to be awhile until the next update. Thanks to all of my reviewers, as always, especially those who noticed my sucky plot mistakes. I might actually rewrite this in the end. You can vote on what I should do on the poll I'm putting up. Thank you!! (Hopefully I'll see you again soon!!) **

* * *


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9- Hidden Messages**

**A.N:**

**Ohayo, minna! Long time no see, ne? The writer's block is leaving, ever so slowly, so I somehow managed to get a new chapter out! YAY! Thank you to all my supporters. Hands out cookies to reviewers Oh, and the chapter after next is going to be looong because it's going to explain some stuff. HOPEFULLY I'll manage to get it out soon, but I'm not promising anything… Anyway, enjoy!!**

**WARNING: None of my chapters are beta-ed. I'm just warning ya. Please point out any HUGE mistakes in a review!!**

Narration

"Talking"

'Thinking"

"**Demon/Inner self talking"**

'**Demon/Inner self thinking'**

'_secret message/code_' **(you'll understand this in a bit…)**

* * *

Naruto looked around his small apartment after exiting the shower, ready for the day. His so-called "Cleanup No Justsu" didn't actually _clean_ his apartment. It only changed its appearance. His apartment was actually filled with all sorts of weapons, equipment, and scrolls. The furniture was mad of dark wood, which complemented the hardwood floor and cream walls. If one had opened the cupboards or fridge in the kitchen while the genjutsu was active, they would have found outdated items and ramen. They actually held a variety of different foods, even though there were five packages of instant ramen in a cupboard. Naruto used to only have rotten or stale food, but had started to shop under Henge when he learned that the shopkeepers treated him better when he was disguised. With a small sigh, the lone shinobi walked over to his bookcase.

The bookcase held a variety of scrolls. Each scroll held a variety of information. Some held Naruto's original jutsus, others held general history lessons. Naruto searched the shelves, searching for a particular scroll, and eventually found it, hidden on one of the highest shelves. This particular scroll held all of Naruto's notes on the seal on his stomach.

'Using these, I should be able to alter Gaara's seal so that his tenant no longer tortures him…' the blonde looked at the clock, which read 9:32 AM. 'I suppose I better go now if I don't want to be late. I'll look at this later then.' The Anbu gave a whistle and cracked open his window, which three small foxes crawled through, before leaving.

Naruto had found the foxes when he was younger. He had found them hiding in the forest, the smallest of the three obviously hurt. The boy had spoken to the foxes in an attempt to find out what had happened using the language the Kyuubi had taught him. The shinobi had then treated the fox, and in return the three foxes agreed to guard his apartment when he was gone. The three Kitsunes (1) had apparently done their job well, for the villagers had stopped trying to break into his apartment soon after. Realizing that they would most likely not return, Naruto had painted over the writings on his walls, an action which used to be futile as the villagers used to return to write on them again. The three foxes continued guarding the apartment ever since, even after he added the seal to his door.

Naruto closed his door behind him, the seal that kept it locked appearing briefly before fading back into the door.

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke stood in front of the Academy, annoyed. Where was the dobe?! He would be late if he didn't arrive in the next three minutes. Then, suddenly, a spot of orange was spotted, and the dobe in question was standing in front of them, whistling.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Oh, and Sasuke-teme." Naruto added as an afterthought.

"Naruto-baka! You were almost late!" Sakura cried, bopping the blond on the head.

"Itai!(2)" cried Naruto, grabbing his head. 'I should be an actor… Even though I hate it.' The shinobi thought, mentally shaking his head.

"Hn." Sasuke walked away from his teammates. 'Why do I have to be on a team with them? They only hold me down.' Secretly Sasuke was glad to be on a team. Even though he would never admit it, he considered the ramen addict his friend, and was glad to have him there to save him from his other teammate's fangirl tendencies.

"Let's go!" cried Naruto, running towards the Academy.

'Why does he have to be so annoying? He should be more like Sasuke-kun. Even though I don't think that's possible, considering his brain capacity.' Sakura ran up to Sasuke, clutching onto his arm. Sasuke tried to shake her off unsuccessfully. 'She's not there, she's not there…' the mantra repeated itself in the raven's head as he entered the building.

Team 7 walked up two flights of stairs, then turned to see a large commotion in front of a door. A sign by it said "room 302". Naruto watched Lee get pushed down by two suspiciously familiar gennin. 'Aren't those the two chunin that watch the gate? Hm. They could use some help in genjutsu.' Naruto then noted that Lee was letting himself get pushed down. 'I see… So he's acting. I guess we better go before we attract too much attention.' Naruto clapped his hand over Sasuke's mouth, who was about to speak.

"Be quiet. We don't want anyone to know." He hissed in the Uchiha's ear, then quickly turned around and started to climb up the next flight of stairs. Sasuke followed him, and, of course, Sakura followed the prodigy like a lovesick puppy.

The trio was about to enter the real room 302 when Kakashi appeared before them. "Very well." he spoke, "I see you all participated. I suppose you can enter then. And before you ask, the entire team must enter or no one at all. I didn't mention this earlier so that Sasuke and Naruto wouldn't force Sakura into participating. Well, good luck. Ja ne!" Kakashi poofed away. Naruto quickly glanced behind him and saw Lee, a Hyuuga, and a girl with two buns approach. Curious, he listened to what the Hyuuga was saying.

"I can't believe those two actually thought we were going to the roof to cheer you up, Lee… I suppose you do have good ideas some times."

"Of course, my eternal rival! The Flames of Youth provide me with my ideas!" Lee continued talking as Naruto tuned out and entered the room.

Inside, he found a great assortment of gennin from different villages, along with the rest of the rookie 9. Sasuke was currently being attacked by the blonde and pink-haired kunoichi, Kiba was talking animatedly with Hinata, who was blushing furiously upon seeing Naruto, and Chouji, Shino, and Shikamaru were standing to the side observing the other shinobi in the room. Naruto smiled an was about to walk up to them when he remembered what the Hokage had told him when he had stopped by his office that morning on the way to the Academy.

* * *

_Flashback:_

"Naruto," the Hokage began, "due to your status as special jounin, and your mission, you need to also be in the jounin lounge during the first exam. I want you to watch the exam through the TV that is installed in there and report any suspicious activity."

"I see. Do you want me to have a Kage Bunshin take the exam then?" The blonde asked.

"That would be advisable. That's all I have to tell you. You are dismissed."

Naruto nodded, and then waved as he left the room.

* * *

'Hm… How should I pull this off…? If I just suddenly made a Kage Bunshin and left, everyone would know something was up.' Naruto glanced at his male teammate.

'Well, that could work… I guess I better do that then.' Naruto slipped into the shadows in the corner of the room, unnoticed. He then performed his signature technique and walked back to Sakura, leaving his clone in the corner.

"Sakura-chan, why do you even like Sasuke-teme? You should go out with me! I'm so much better than that bastard!" He cried, hoping his plan would work. Sakura ran towards him.

"Naruto-no-BAKA! Don't insult Sasuke-kun!" she cried, punching Naruto in the gut. Said blonde performed a Shunshin (Transportation jutsu) at that moment, causing a poof of smoke that appeared when a Kage Bunshin was dispelled. The Kage Bunshin hiding in the shadows stepped out after his creator left, crying out, "Sakura-chan! Why did you dispel my Kage Bunshin!" the clone then went to pout, actually observing the newcomer who had arrived, offering information to the rookie gennin.

* * *

Naruto appeared outside the jounin lounge. The trickster quickly changed into his Anbu uniform, then slipped on his mask before stepping into the room. Gasps were heard as the jounin present recognized his mask.

"Kitsune-san, what are you doing here?" Kurenai asked, having gathered all her courage.

"The Hokage asked me to monitor the exams from the lounge. Do not mind me." The Anbu said slipping into the shadows, ignoring the many stares he received. He sat quietly against a wall, seemingly doing nothing, but actually holding a conversation with his tenant.

'Oi, Kyuubi, could you do me a favor?"

"**What do you want, gaki?"**

"Could you take control of my clone for me? If you do, it wouldn't dissipate when hit, and you could make sure that it acted in character."

"**Fine, kit. I suppose I'll do it if it means I get temporary freedom." **Naruto felt the presence known as Kyuubi leave his mind. The boy then focused his attention the screen in front of him. Apparently Ibiki had arrived, and was managing to scare the gennin and get them to sit down at the same time. Naruto chuckled, attracting the attention from four certain Jounin senseis.

"What?" he asked. "You have to admit it's amusing." Three of the jounin turned around, while the last one looked at Naruto for a minute before giving a one-eyed smile and turning around. The Anbu settled down in his corner, still watching the screen.

* * *

In the examination room, "Naruto" quickly ran to his seat, looking afraid. He quickly surveyed the room, noticing a lavender-eyed kunoichi next to him. '**Hm. Isn't that one of Naruto's friends, the shy one? What was her name again? Haruna? Hikari? Hitomi? Hina? Um… Hinata?**' the Kyuubi-controlled clone grinned. '**Yes, that's right, it's Hinata! I suppose I should be nice to her. She **_**is**_** one of kit's friends.**' His decision made, the Kyuubi turned to his shy neighbor.

"**Good luck, Hinata! Let's do our, best!**" said the clone, giving Naruto's "trademark" grin. The Kyuubi mentally patted himself on the back. '**I **_**am**_** good at acting! Maybe I should become in actor in my next life…**' snapping away from his thoughts, Kyuubi refocused his attention on a blushing Hinata.

"H-hai, N-N-Naruto-kun. G-good luck." She stuttered shyly. 'He's actually talking to me! But, is it my imagination or is his voice slightly deeper?' she thought to herself, poking her fingers together.

All the gennin turned their attention to the intimidating jounin in the front of the room, who was currently explaining the rules.

"- of the test is a written exam with ten questions. No cheating! If you are caught cheating by the chunin on the side of the room three times, you and your team are disqualified! Each question counts for one point, and if you don't answer all of them, you and your team fail. The final question will be given ten minutes before the time is up. Any questions? No? Begin!" Ibiki finished barking out his instructions, and the tests began to be passed out. A gennin began to raise his hand.

"E-excuse me-" he began.

"It's too late for questions! You should have asked earlier!" cried Ibiki.

"But I-"

"I SAID NO MORE QUESTIONS!" The poor gennin slumped back in his seat, blushing furiously with embarrassment.

Kyuubi looked at the paper laid before him and smirked. He knew the answer to each question.

'**I'll admit I wouldn't have known the answers had kit not been in Anbu, but still… At least I know them! Hm, should I do as I'm supposed to and cheat, or go the easy way?**' The fox demon looked at the test. '**I guess I'll take the easy way… It should throw some people off, and I don't feel like putting any effort in anyway.**' The controlled clone quickly completed the test, acting as if it were nervous the entire time. With thirty minutes to spare, the demon looked around, noticing many obvious cheating methods, rolling his eyes, and relaxing in his seat.

The Kyuubi lasted five minutes before getting annoyed.

'**Well, this is boring. I obviously can't torture someone, so what **_**can**_** I do? I guess I now understand the kit; tests are boring!**'

Across the room, a red-haired gennin was watching the blonde warily. Something was off; the Uzumaki was merely sitting at his desk, as though he was bored. 'I wonder what's with him… He sure seems to be acting weird. I wonder-''Don't** worry about that now, and get back to work. That way you can get back to providing me blood sooner.**' A demonic voice interrupted. 'Hai, Shukaku-sama.' Gaara returned to using his third eye to cheat.

Meanwhile, the occupant of Gaara's concern was still trying to think of a way to entertain himself. Subconsciously, the Kyuubi picked up his pencil and started to tap a message in a way he had picked up from Naruto. Unfortunately for him, it was a method known by all Anbu… including interrogation specialists.

'_I'm so bored!_' tapped the Kyuubi, '_why isn't there anything to do here?!_'

Ibiki, who had been watching the room with an analyzing eye, snapped his attention to the disguised demon.

'_How do you know this method? It's only supposed to be known by Anbu!_' Ibiki tapped back, having grabbed a nearby pen.

'_Meh. You pick things up when you live on the streets._'

Ibiki's eyes widened. 'This kid is from the streets? And furthermore, Anbu use the code outside of missions?'

'_You said you were bored. Why aren't you working on the test then?_'

'_I already finished it._' Tapping noises filled the silence in the room, forming a conversation that no one truly understood.

'_How so? That test isn't supposed to be easy._'

'_I know things. I considered cheating, as I was supposed to, but what can I say? I'm lazy._' The Kyuubi grinned. '_Besides, you're wrong, that test is easy._'

Ibiki frowned. Any true prodigies were normally specially trained. Who was this kid? '_Hey, what's your name, gaki?_'

'_I don't see why you want to know my, a mere fox kit's, name, but its Uzumaki Naruto. Don't forget it._'

'Uzumaki Naruto? Isn't that the Kyuubi's vessel? And wasn't he the last in his class, instead of the number one rookie?' Ibiki glanced at the clock and grinned. There were ten minutes left. Showtime. He quickly slammed his hands on the desk and stood up, having gained every shinobi's attention.

"All right! Time's up! Here comes the last question! Now, you can chose not to take the question, fail automatically, and re-take the test next year, or you can try to answer the question yourself. _But_, if you answer the question incorrectly you will fail and be forbidden from participating in the exams again!"

"But that's impossible! Some people in here have taken the exam before!"

"Well, I wasn't the proctor before! What I say goes!" barked Ibiki. "Raise your hand if you don't want to participate." A few minutes passed, and then slowly but surely, hands began to be raised, and many gennin began to exit the room.

* * *

Back in the jounin lounge, the last Uzumaki was thinking. He knew that Sakura might bail out of the test on his account, and he couldn't allow that to happen. Part of his orders was to help the Uchiha pass, after all. He sat and stared at the screen. All fly flew passed him, and he swatted it away, barely noticing it.

'…Wait. That's it!' he thought, suddenly having a breakthrough. Acting quickly, he silently performed Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. He then used Henge on himself to appear as an insect. The boy-turned-insect looked around. 'Woah. Who would've known that bugs could see so much? I guess I understand the Aburame clan for using bugs now.' He then flew under the door unnoticed, heading towards the examination room as fast as he could.

* * *

The Henged Shinobi was almost at the door of the room when he suddenly stopped, suspending in midair.

'Wait… I can't risk this. I might get caught and cause my team to fail, which is unacceptable. It's also to smart for my character. I know my act has been slipping lately, but I need to keep on pretending. Hopefully the others won't be suspicious then…' a chunin walked through the halls, not noticing a single fly that was flying through the halls towards the jounin lounge.

* * *

Sakura was staring at her blonde-haired teammate. 'I have to let us fail! It's better that causing Naruto to embarrass us and cause Sasuke-kun to fail. I have to!' Slowly, her hand began to inch upward.

Suddenly she noticed a tan hand had shot up in the air, and then slammed down onto the desk. She stared at her now-standing teammate.

"I won't back down!" he cried, "If you think one stupid question is going to frighten me, well then you're wrong! I don't care if I fail, I'll figure out some way to try again!" apparently Naruto's "speech" had inspired the other gennin, for no more hands were raised, and all of the examinees had a look of determination.

"So none of you want to quit? Are you sure?" Silence. No one made a sound. "Very well. You all pass." Everyone stared at the jounin in shock.

"What about the tenth question?" Temari asked.

"There was no tenth question, per say. It was a test to see if you had the courage to continue a mission, no matter what the risk."

'**Heh… Been there, done that.**" Kyuubi thought. '**Wait, let me rephrase that. The kit's been there and done that.**' Satisfied, the controlled clone leaned back in his chair, grinning.

Ibiki had removed his headband, revealing the scars on his scalp, when a woman came flying into the room. A sheet flew up, reading, "Mitarashi Anko; second proctor of the chunin exams.'

'**Oh, kit will be happy. He hasn't seen his old sensei in a while.**' In the jounin lounge, an Anbu was grinning behind his mask.

* * *

**A.N.:**

**OMG!! I finished!! It's a miracle!! In case you're wondering why no one noticed the clone, apparently Kage Bunshins are incredibly hard to distinguish from the real people. Well, at least according to Neji, who couldn't tell the difference even with his Byakugan. Anyway, as a thank-you gift for your patience, here's an….**

* * *

**OMAKE**

A young girl was crouched by a low wall, watching a certain area in Konoha. She had light brown hair tied into two pigtails, bangs framing either side of her face, with golden eyes. She was wearing a black t-shirt with the kanji for fire on it in pink under a gray cutoff short sleeved vest, which had a hot pink swirl and both shoulders. Elbow length fingerless gloves were on her arms, the metal plates having Konoha's symbol engraved in them. She wore plain black shinobi shorts and sandals, and a purple stone hung from her neck with a moon symbol engraved in it. She continued watching the village, unaware of the three girls that were sneaking up on her.

"Hey Honoka, what are you doing?" one with dark brown hair and eyes, named Miki, suddenly asked, causing the young Anbu to jump. She turned to face her teammates.

"Oh, just getting revenge. I put everyone who prevented me from writing in that area of the village, and plastered it with exploding tags. They'll go off when I say a certain word. But I have to get you guys in there first."

"Why us?" Sheka, the team pervert, asked. She had pale blonde hair and startlingly blue eyes.

"Because you're the ones that caused me the most trouble!" Honoka cried in frustration. Why did she accept to join this team again?! Oh, right. She was ordered to, so that she could control the team captain and her friend, Miki, who apparently was causing turmoil in the village with her new team. Little did the Hokage know, Honoka only helped the team cause higher-scale damage.

"Hey, Honoka-chan, what was the word again?" Arai, the most curious of the group, asked. She always liked to learn things about explosives. She had dark blonde hair and blue-gray eyes.

"Oh, it was 'Boom'." Honoka said before noticing her mistake. A large explosion occurred in the background. "Dammit!" she cried. Miki began to laugh at her, and Sheka soon joined in. Arai, however, didn't notice what was so funny.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to kill you myself then." Honoka said, her tone dead serious. The area suddenly became silent. The co-leader of the team then unsheathed her katana and got rid of her first two teammates quickly, feeling slightly guilty. She turned to face her "captain."

"Hm, I think I want to make this special." She said.

"W-why?" Miki stuttered, suddenly afraid of her friend.

"Well, you see, you caused me the most trouble. Except the weather. But I invented a machine to take care of that. Hmmm… how should I do this? Oh, I know." Honoka began to do many handseals. "Gyouko Hisaki no jutsu!" she said, blowing blue flames out of her mouth. Her friend died, burning yet freezing at the same time.

"Ah, much better." Honoka said, only to find herself back in bed, awakened by her alarm clock. It was only a dream. She looked at the clock. 'Wait… Seven o'clock?! I'm going to be late to my Anbu meeting!' The brunette then took off, racing through her apartment, trying to get ready on time.

* * *

Owari

**If you're wondering, the characters are actually myself (Honoka) and my friends (Miki, Sheka, and Arai.). Ah, that felt good. It let off some frustration. If you must know, Alex (Miki) kept on kidnapping me on the weekends so I couldn't write. Her name on HERE () is Forgotten Silver Angel. Check her out. Oh, and Alex and I are working on a fic called, "The misadventures of Team 14." That was kind of a preview of the story, though that doesn't happen, and it's a lot more detailed. I just did that in about ten minutes… So yeah. I'll see if I can think of what I want for the next chapter… Writer's block is still kinda there…. Requests are always appreciated. Yeah. Well, Ja ne!!**

**-Harmony909**

**1)Kistune: fox**

**Gyoko Hisaki no jutsu: A jutsu I invented. It means Freezing Flames (I think). You can guess what it does.**


	12. the tearstater Edited version! XP

**Even MORE Depressing AN!!**

**Okay. Hello people!! Um, right… Uh… This note is here to say that I'm extremely sorry, but TTBH is going to be…. DELETED! (Gah…) Um, don't get your hopes to low (or high…), however! If I get excited about this story again I might rewrite it and post it back up… And just so ya know, this fic will still be up for another two weeks or so… Yeah. If you HAVE to know, my computer caught a nasty virus/Trojan called "Fotomoto" (apparently a version of virtuMonde) and I CAN'T remove it!! So annoying. Anyway, if you know how to remove it, PLEASE let me know… Oh, and I'll still be writing oneshots here and there, so I'll still be "alive" so to speak. Erm, I'm kinda rambling here…. So I suppose I'll just thank all my reviewers, alerters, and favoriters!! I love you all!! You are awesome! applauds reviewers, alerters, and favoriters Oh, and the flamers…. Were dumped in ice buckets, cooked, and fed to Kyuubi… Muahahaha!! Well, I'm signing out now… (My mom thinks I'm using her computer to check my emails… Hehe…) Ja ne!! **

**-Harmony909 sniffle, sniffle**

**(UPDATE: Okay, considering the huge response and stuff... This fic shall now officially be on hiatus... So, ya know, basically the same thing, but it will still be on for you to read fifty times in a row. :P (Seriously! One of my favorite fanfics went on hiatus once, so I just kept on reading it over and over and over... Cause, you know, I'm a bit stupid like that...) Thanks... AGAIN... to all my reviewers!! Ja ne!)**


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